Hinari
by Sakura Hanamoto
Summary: A girl who just wants respect and a family to call her own. Takes place twenty years after the Naruto story begins. Rated for language and violence later on.
1. Chapter 1: The girl and the Kitsune

Hinari

Chapter 1

Sakura Hanamoto

**A/N: My first Naruto fic. Just something you should know, this is a fic that takes place after Naruto's time, in short it's the future. So, if you don't like it, too freaking bad, though I am using some of the characters from the original story.**

A young girl of twelve sat in a dark alley of Konohagakure, pain coursing through her body after a particularly brutal beating. Slowly, as the rain drenched her body making her shiver, adding to her misery. As she wept silently, she slipped into unconsciousness, and she felt as if her soul was pulled into the deepest recesses of her mind.

XxXxXxXxX

_"Dear Kit, I'm sorry." A deep resonating voice spoke to her. The girl stared at her bare feet and did not look up at the tall man with flaming red hair and eyes. He smiled gently and knelt before her._

_"Its okay, Kyuubi-san, there wasn't anything you could have done." She told him. The man cupped her chin in his hand and forced her to look up at him._

_"Kit, you are in such pain, scorned by your fellow villagers, loathed and looked down upon with killer intent. But, know that I will be here to listen to you." He told her. The girl managed to smile a bit. "A smile suits you best, Hinari-chan." He said to her._

_"Thank you,"_

_"So, what do you want to do tonight?" He asked._

_"Can we play hide and see?" Hinari asked. Kyuubi nodded._

_"I'll count while you hide." The stone walls, ceiling, and floor morphed into an enormous mansion. Hinari ran to find a place to hide while Kyuubi stood in a corner and counted._

XxXxXxXxX

Hinari was pulled back to reality when she felt something disturbing her. She opened her eyes a crack and saw something snuffling around her, taking in her scent. Hinari lifted her head and saw that it was a small fox. It looked to be perhaps a year old by Hinari's eye. She carefully reached out and stroked its coat of fur gently. It looked up at her with great golden eyes and licked her hand. Hinari giggled at the feeling and lifted the young fox into her lap.

"What are you doing here in the village?" She asked it quietly. In response it licked her face, making her giggle a little more. Hinari stood up and walked to the entrance of the alleyway and looked about, no one was around The angry mob of villagers had left when the rain started to fall, saving her from more pain, but the pain they brought her was more than enough/ Hinari unzipped her jacket and tucked the fox inside and zipped it back up. With on final glance around, Hinari ran out of the alley and down the street to find proper shelter from the rain.

Hinari came to Ichiraku Ramen stand and slipped beneath the awning. She sat down on the ground and fell asleep with the fox snuggled again her chest to keep warm.

XxXxXxXxX

"Hey, wake up, wake up." Hinari opened her eyes and saw a woman in her late thirties looked at her. "What are you doing here?" She asked.

"I had to get out of the rain." Hinari answered. "I have nowhere else to go." She added. Hinari yawned and began to leave when the woman stopped her.

"Why don't you eat something first?" She suggested going behind the counter and set to work making a bowl f ramen.

"Are you sure?" Hinari asked sitting on a stool.

"Yeah. I can't just leave a starving little girl to wander around on an empty stomach." The woman told her. Hinari nodded and unzipped her jacket and placed the small fox on the counter. "That's a beautiful fox."

"Thank you, I found him yesterday, he kept sniffing me." Hinari said. The woman smiled and paused in her ramen making to fill a saucer up with milk. She set out a plate of scraps as well for the fox to eat. It gobbled up the scraps quickly and drank the milk.

"He must have been hungry." The woman said. Hinari nodded and waited patiently for her breakfast. The woman set down a bowl of beef ramen and Hinari decided to dig in immediately.

"Thank you so much!" Hinari lifted her chopsticks and ate it all in a few minutes. The woman could only smile while remembering the enthusiasm of a costumer who stopped coming twelve years before.

"My name is Ayame by the way." The woman introduced herself. Hinari gulped down some noodles to speak.

"Uzumaki Hinari." She responded. Ayame's eyes widened momentarily, but brushed it off.

'So she's their child. I thought as much.' She thought as Hinari finished the bowl and drank down the broth.

"Thank you Ayame-san, I need to get to the ninja academy now!" Hinari hopped off the stool and beckoned for the fox to follow her. The two ran off together, Hinari laughing in joy while the fox ran beside her, keeping pace with ease.

XxXxXxXxX

"As you all know, tomorrow is the graduation test, so I want you all to do your best." Hinari's teacher said. Hinari sighed.

'Another year gone by, maybe I'll pass this year.' She thought. Hinari scratched the fox's ears and listened to her teacher's final lecture until the next day. 'I have to pass this year! I swear I will!' Hinari decided. When the bell rang and everyone had left already, Hinari walked up to her teacher.

"Iruka-sensei?"

"What is it Hinari?" He asked her.

"I swear that this year I will pass!" Hinari cried. Iruka smiled at her and placed his hand on her shoulder.

"I'm sure you will." He said. With that, Hinari ran out of the classroom with the fox in tow. She headed straight for the great stone faces of the previous six Hokages and climbed to the top. Hinari perched herself on the head of the sixth one. The fox leapt up to her head and sat there. Hinari laughed at this and looked out over the whole village and smiled.

"One day, they will respect me for who I am, not for what I am not!" She cried. Hinari left and headed to the stream nearby to wash her clothing. She washed her jacket and hung it up on a low tree branch, and did the same with her shirt and pants. While her clothing dried she scrubbed her self clean in the water. The small fox played in the shallows and made little yipping sounds as it did. Hinari giggled and got out of the water. She let the sun dry her skin and she got dressed. Then she heard the fox making a strange sound. It sounded like it was stuttering, but it came from the throat. Hinari noticed that it's fur stood on end and looked in the direction it as looking at. There were a bunch of bushes on the other side of the stream. Hinari molded some chakra and walked over the water and looked into the bushes. There was no one there.

'It could be a genjutsu.' Hinari rain through some hand seals. 'Kai!' Sure enough, a strange old man with long white hair appeared. Hinari blinked, and then screamed. "Pervert!" The man clapped his hand over her mouth.

"Now just stay quiet, if your father, God rest his soul, saw this, he'll be down here so fast to haunt me until I die." He whispered. Hinari broke free of his grip and stared at him.

"You knew my father?" Hinari asked. She had no idea who her parents her, apparently they both died the day she was born, May thirty-first.

"Of course I knew your father; I trained him myself for three years." He said. Hinari glared at him suspiciously and sighed,

"If I catch you watching me bathe again I'll sick my pet fox on you." She said. Hinari walked back across the stream and the man noticed this.

"How is your chakra control so good?" He asked.

"What do you mean?"

"Your father had some of the worst chakra control among his graduating class. You obviously have no trouble with it." He said.

"I've always been good at it." Hinari told him. She put her jacket on and picked up her fox and walked away. "Remember what I said old man." She said.

"Old? I'm only seventy years old!" He cried.

"Like I said old man." Hinari walked away went back to the village to find somewhere to crash for the night.

XxXxXxXxX

Hinari sat in the classroom waiting for her name to be called. They didn't seem to be going in any order for giving the test, so Hinari had no idea when it would be her turn. Iruka appeared from the next room and glanced at a clipboard. "Uchiha Takuro." He called. A boy dressed in a blue t-shirt with a high color and a pair of black shorts stood from his desk and walked to the door and left the room. Hinari sighed and the fox, whom she named Akagane licked her chin in comfort. She smiled and scratched him under the chin. A couple of minutes later Takuro reappeared with a forehead protector in his hand. Iruka came after him. "Next, Uzumaki Hinari." Hinari bit her lip, told Akagane to stay where he was and walked out of the room. Hinari entered the room next door and took a deep breath.

"Okay, Uzumaki, please, proceed." A man with sunglasses told her.

"Okay, Ebisu-sensei." Hinari took another deep breath and formed the seal. "Bunshin no jutsu!" Five replications appeared in a puff of smoke around Hinari. Iruka clapped when the clones were dismissed.

"Hinari, you pass. Congratulations on graduating." He said. Hinari smiled a genuine smile and laughed. "Come and get your forehead protector." Hinari stepped forward and Iruka handed her the cloth and metal. Hinari took it and put it on immediately. Hinari left the room followed by Iruka. Hinari entered her classroom and was immediately bowled over by Akagane who had been waiting for her at the door.

"Hey, Akagane, I told you to stay put!" Hinari said standing up cradling the fox in her arms.

Once everyone had taken the test and passed they gathered outside to be congratulated by their parents and the seventh Hokage. Iruka and Ebisu stood beside the Hokage as al the kids were greeted by family members. Hinari stood off on her own, as she had no family to talk to. She heard footsteps approaching and saw Iruka walking up to her smiling.

"So, you're a ninja now, I'd sure your parents would be so proud of you." He said.

"Iruka-sensei, what are the names of my parents?" Hinari asked. Iruka smiled sadly.

"I'm not allowed to tell you."

"Why not?"

"Hokage's orders." Iruka said. Hinari pouted. Iruka's resolve began to break over the look. "Oh fine, I guess it couldn't hurt, just make sure that he doesn't find out." Iruka said indicating the Hokage, who was several years younger than Iruka.

"Promise." Hinari said. Iruka leaned in closer to her to whisper it in her ear.

"Your father's name is-,"

"IRUKA!" Iruka winced and looked over at the Hokage who had a stern look on his face.

"Coming Konohamaru-sama." Iruka gave Hinari an apologetic look and ran to see what the Hokage wanted. Hinari sighed and shrugged.

'So close, at this rate, I'll never know who they are.' Hinari thought as she walked off.

**"Kit, are you well?"** Kyuubi asked her.

'I'm fine, Kyuubi-san, do you know the names of my mother and father?' She asked.

**"I do, but the Hokage asked me not to tell you until he feels you're ready to know."**

'But I am ready! I've spent all twelve years of my life wondering who they were, what they were like. Why won't someone just tell me?' Hinari sighed and stared at her bare feet.

**"Fine, I'll tell you, but no one must know that you know."** Kyuubi told her.

'Okay, I promise.' Hinari told him.

**"All right, your mother's name was Hyuuga Hinata. And, your father was Uzumaki Naruto, the Rokudaime."** Hinari stopped in her tracks.

'The, Rokudaime? Seriously?'

**"Seriously, he was a great man, it is because of him the village still stands and you live."** Kyuubi said. Hinari felt like she was gonna faint, her father was a famous Hokage, and not just any Hokage, he saved the village from the Kyuubi. **"I knew him personally, he was my last host."**

'He was?'

**"Yes, it seems that the Uzumaki family has a history of Hokages and demon hosts. You, your father, his father before him."** Kyuubi told him. **"Though, your father's last name is different from his father's. It may have been done to keep anyone from suspecting."** Hinari sighed and smiled widely.

'My father was a Hokage! That is so cool!' Hinari couldn't help but leap into the air and let out a whoop of joy. Within her mind she heard Kyuubi chuckled at her antics.

**"Tomorrow, the real fun begins."** He said, though Hinari didn't hear him, too preoccupied with her happiness to pai y him any attention.

**Well, I hope you like, please review, and give me some feedback. I'll even accept flames, just be somewhat gentle. I should be able to update soon since I've got a lot of inspiration going for this one.**


	2. Chapter 2: New life, new teams

Hinari

Chapter 2

Sakura Hanamoto

**A/N: Normally I wait for a review, but, my brain is too restless. Now for chapter two, and please review.**

Hinari opened her eyes to unfamiliar surroundings. She sat up quickly and remembered what had happened. "Oh yeah, Hokage-sama got me a new apartment yesterday, that's why he wanted to talk to Iruka-sensei. " She murmured as she rubbed the sleep from her eyes. Then she snapped up in excitement. "I'm a ninja now!" She cried waking up Akagane who was sleeping on the edge of the bed curled into a ball of red fur. Hinari laughed when he blinked at her sleepily. She picked him up and cradled him in her arms. "I'm sorry, you go back to sleep while I get ready for the day." She said. Hinari got out of bed and went to the bathroom. She turned on the shower and stepped inside, forgetting to undress herself. "Oops." Hinari quickly removed her clothes and washed herself off. 'I can't remember the last time I had a hot shower.' She thought as she shampooed her hair. Hinari finished and stepped out wrapping a towel around her body. She went back to her room and pulled out some of the new clothes she'd been given. She dressed herself in a pair of baggy black pants and a tank top underneath a fishnet shirt. The tank top exposed her midriff but she didn't care. She pulled a dark brown jacket on that fell to her knees and rolled up the sleeves. Hinari glanced at the sandals skeptically. She was used to being barefoot, but didn't want to step on anything harmful. 'Oh what the hell, I'll wear them.' Hinari put on the sandals then stood in front of the mirror to inspect herself. Hinari frowned and picked up a brush to ran it through her long indigo colored hair. Hinari picked up her forehead protector and put it on. The metal shined in the morning light and she smiled and shook her bangs out of her eyes. Finally Hinari reached into a box that she had stuffed underneath her bed and opened it. She pulled out a necklace that according to the Hokage had belonged to her father. She put it on and grinned. Hinari went to the kitchen and made herself a cup of instant ramen and a glass of milk. She drank the broth and ate half of the noodles. She gave the rest to Akagane who ate it knowing that there was nothing else for him to eat. When he finished Hinari stood up. "Come on Akagane, to the academy we go!" She cried pumping her fist into the air. She left the apartment and ran the whole way. Several villagers were surprised to see her wearing a forehead protector and laughing with pure joy. Some of the few sympathetic ones smiled, they were the older ones who weren't so ignorant or didn't have a stick shoved half way up their asses, couldn't help but smile, the girl's happiness was infectious, much like her father.

**"You're awfully jubilant today Kit." **The Kyuubi remarked.

'How can I not be? I'm a ninja starting today.' Hinari responded. She did a little hop-skip and went on running. Hinari came to the academy and walked into the classroom with Akagane perched on her head. Hinari found a seat next to Uchiha Takuro, the so called "heart-throb" among the girls. Hinari sat down and tensed up when she felt many pairs of eyes on her in anger. 'Maybe sitting here was a mistake.' She thought. Just before Iruka entered the last member of the class came running in. The girl sat in the only available seat beside Hinari. A couple minutes afterward, Iruka stepped inside.

"All right, first off I want to start by congratulating all of you for graduating this year." He said, and a few cheers went up through the room. "Next, now that you have graduated, you will each be divided into teams of three. So there will be ten teams." Iruka told them. Many girls started dreaming about the possibility of being on Takuro's team. "Okay team number one…" And this went on for a while.

'I'm one of the last teams.' Hinari thought when Iruka announced the sixth team and her name had been yet to be called.

"Seventh team, Nara Tsubaki," The girl beside Hinari looked p in surprise. "Uchiha Takuro," Takuro shrugged, while all the girl's that were chasing after him were on the edge of their seats waiting for her name to be called. "And, Uzumaki Hinari." Hinari had to restraining herself from crying out loud. She knew that the fangirls would try to kill her the second they had the opportunity. Akagane sensed her apprehension and bared his sharp teeth at the girls behind Hinari. They quickly backed off.

'Oh god, they'll be on me like flies on rotting flesh.' She thought with a groan.

"Eighth team, Inuzuka Kouga, Aburame Hiro, and Omoriyama Haruka." Iruka announced. Kouga and his dog Kuromaru looked at their new teammates. Haruka didn't look like much, while Hiro simply pushed his sunglasses up in response. Iruka moved on to the next team, and then came the last team. "Hikazaki Daisuke, Inuzuka Kana, and Kusakabe Masaru." Kana was Kouga's twin sister; she was younger by a mere four minutes. Kana's nin-ken partner Tsukishiro was perched on her shoulder, her tongue hanging out. "Okay, you're all dismissed for lunch but be back by one o'clock to meet your jounin instructors, got it?" Iruka asked. A chorus of "yes" rang through the room and everyone got up to go eat. Akagane followed Hinari through the village. They came to Ichiraku and entered.

"Oh hello there Hinari-chan, Akagane-kun. What would you like today?" Ayame asked them.

"Beef ramen for me, and some meat scraps for Akagane." Hinari said.

"Coming right up." Ayame set to work putting the ramen together. "It looks like you're a ninja now. Congratulations." Ayame said.

"Thanks, I just got assigned to a team, and I'm going to meet my jounin teacher when I go back later." Hinari told her.

"That's great. So, who's on your team?"

"Um, some guy names Uchiha Takuro. All the girls think he's hot, but he's only mediocre in my opinion. And also Nara Tsubaki, she had some of the top grades in the class." Hinari said.

"Boy did you get lucky, the Uchiha clan is a powerful one, so, you should be glad to have one on your team, and the Nara clan, the men are very lazy, but the women are pretty scary when provoked from what I hear." Ayame told her.

"All right then, I guess I did get lucky." Hinari said. Ayame set a bowl of hot ramen in front of her and she smiled. Hinari picked up a pair of chopsticks and began eating. Akagane gobbled up the meat scraps at the same rate that Hinari was eating. Once they finished Hinari dug into her pocket for some money. "Thanks Ayame-san!" Hinari was going to hand her the money when she pushed her hand away. "Huh?"

"Keep your money, todays meal is on me." She said.

"Are you sure?"

"Yep, absolutely." Ayame gave her a smile. Hinari smiled back and headed back to the academy.

XxXxXxXxX

"So this is where Hinari is living now?" A young woman in her mid-twenties asked the Hokage who stood behind her.

"Yes, she moved in yesterday afternoon." He answered. The woman opened the fridge to find it empty except for a carton of milk. "Most of her food is ramen so it won't spoil easily." Konohamaru told her.

"I see, but she needs vegetables, she's too thin for her age." She said.

"I know, I'll send some over later on." Konohamaru said leaving the apartment. The woman followed him and made her way to the academy.

XxXxXxXxX

"Okay, now that you're all gathered, I'll leave you to meet your jounin instructors." Iruka said leaving the room, letting the students do what they wanted until their teachers arrived. Team number seven gathered together to just stand around and not talk. One by one the teachers came and left with there students. The ninth team left, and the next time the door slid open a tall woman with long brown hair and white eyes stepped inside.

"Team number seven, where's team seven?" She called through the room. Hinari, Takuro, and Tsubaki stepped forward cautiously. "So you're it huh? Well meet me on the roof in five." She said. The three looked at each other in nervousness. Takuro shrugged and headed for the roof, the two girls in tow. They came to the roof to find their teacher sitting and watching them, her eyes seemed to penetrate into their thoughts. "Well come on, we don't have all day you know." They moved faster and set down on the steps of the roof. "All right, I want names, ambitions, and hobbies." She said. No one spoke. She gave a sigh. "A real bunch of geniuses they are." She mumbled. "I'll go first since no one wants to volunteer. My name is Hyuuga Hikaru. I have no ambitions, nor any hobbies." She said.

'So we just learn her name.' Hinari thought. Akagane raised his head momentarily, then rested it on his paws and went back to sleep.

"Let's start with, blondie." She pointed to Tsubaki.

"I'm Nara Tsubaki, I don't have any ambitions really, but I like to play shougi." She said. Hikaru nodded.

'Typical Nara, but she's a girl, the girls aren't lazy, and it's the men that need to be whipped into moving. Weird.' Hikaru thought. "Next, you." She pointed to Hinari.

"Uh, Uzumaki Hinari, my ambition, uh, I want to show people that I'm not a monster like they say I am. And, my hobbies, don't have any." Hinari said.

'So this is the Kyuubi's vessel. She doesn't look like much. We'll see what she can do later.' Hikaru reflected. "Finally, the boy." Takuro sighed.

"Uchiha Takuro, ambitions, let's see, none. Hobbies, it's not a hobby, more like a job, taking care of my little sister." He said.

'Well this is interesting, the two children of the Legendary Sannin Sakura, Naruto, and Sasuke. Wonder if they can live up to their parents' names.' Hikaru smiled. "Well, now that we know each other, I have one thing to explain to you. You're not in the clear yet." She said.

"What?" Tsubaki asked.

"It's quite simply Tsubaki, out of the ten teams that leave the academy; seven of them are going back tomorrow."

"What about the other three teams?" Hinari asked her.

"They remain genin. Here's the thing, only three teams will actually pass this year, like it always has been. Even though the whole class passed the final exam, there is one more; it tests if you're truly worthy of being a shinobi. It takes place tomorrow; meet me tomorrow morning at seven o'clock sharp at the training ground nearest the shinobi memorial stone. Bring all of your equipment." Hikaru said standing up. "Oh, and don't eat breakfast, I don't want you throwing up on me during the test." She said. Hikaru then disappeared in a cloud of smoke.

"Great another test." Tsubaki sighed and got up. "I'll see you guys tomorrow." She said heading back into the building.

"Come on Akagane, let's get going." Hinari said, Akagane didn't get up. She sighed and picked him up and carried him away leaving just Takuro. He eventually got up and went home as well.

XxXxXxXxX

Hinari came home and set Akagane down on her bed and she sat on the floor going through her gear. She sharpened her kunai and shuriken and put them away. Since she wasn't hungry she didn't eat dinner that night, and when she fell asleep she was pulled into her mind, into the Kyuubi's chamber.

_"Kit, I'm going to teach you a special technique that only you will know." He said._

_"What kind of technique?"_

_"It's one of fire." He answered. "But for this technique, you need Akagane." _

_"Okay, but, how can he learn it?"_

_"Just watch and here he comes now." Akagane bounded up to Hinari._

_"Hi Hinari!" He said._

_"You can talk?"_

_"Only here, I can't in the real world." He said._

_"Now then let's get started." The Kyuubi appeared to them in his human form. "Now, make the following seals. Boar, dragon, ram, dog, tiger." He performed the seals slowly enough for Hinari to see. "Then inhale deeply gathering chakra to your chest. And finally, exhale." He did so a stream of flames spewed from his mouth, and as it went, it took on the form of a nine-tailed fox. "This technique is called, Kitsune-bi on Jutsu." He told her._

_"Whoa, that's cool!" Hinari said._

_"Now, because, a human can only perform it when working with a fox, you'll be one of the few who will ever learn it, even your father didn't know it." Kyuubi told her._

_"Really? That's so cool. Can I try now?"_

_"Go ahead." Hinari ginned and looked down at Akagane. "Ready Akagane?"_

_"Of course Hinari." Hinari performed the seals and inhaled. _

'_Kitsune-bi no Jutsu!' A double stream of fire from both Hinari and Akagane joined together to form a much larger one that formed a nine-tailed fox. When the fire disappeared Hinari grinned. "All right, that was so cool!" She cheered._

"_The more you practice it, the longer and bigger the flame becomes." Kyuubi told her. Hinari grinned. "Now, in the morning, eat a small breakfast, it's not a good idea to do anything on an empty stomach."_

_"But Hikaru-sensei told us not to eat."_

_"She said that because she knows that id you don't eat, you won't function to your full potential." Kyuubi said._

_"Okay, I'll eat in the morning." Hinari said._

_"Now get out of here, it's nearly morning." Hinari nodded and she and Akagane made there way back into their bodies._

XxXxXxXx

Hinari arrived at the training ground and saw that Tsubaki and Takuro were already waiting. Both were wearing a backpack on their shoulders, and Tsubaki had something long and made of steel tucked into her sash at her hip. Tsubaki was dressed in something that looked more like a dress than proper shinobi clothing. But Hinari paid no attention to it. The three waited, and seven o'clock came, and was about to go when Hikaru appeared with a grin on her face.

"Yo!" She gave a small salute. "You guys ready?" They nodded. "Good, this test, is survival training, I have two bells here." She held up two bells on a string. "The mission objective is to retrieve a bell, but only two of you can, the third one goes to the post." She pointed to the three posts behind them. "And as an added bonus, the two that get a bell eats lunch in front of the one tied to the post and make him of her suffer." Hikari said.

'So in short, only two can pass.' Tsubaki pondered momentarily.

"Also, you have until noon to do it." Hikaru set down a timer on a tree stump, as well as the two lunches. "Well, get going, mission starts now." Immediately, the three of them were nowhere in sight.

Hinari was crouched behind some reeds in the wide stream behind Hikaru. She couldn't spot Takuro or Tsubaki, but Akagane was crouched in some bushes to her right. 'Hmm, if I just charge in, she could easily counter, so, I won't go in myself.' She thought. She formed a seal. 'Bunshin no Jutsu!' A replication sat next to her. "Go in and try and get a bell." She ordered. The clone nodded and rushed at Hikaru.

'A direct approach? That's the worst kind.' Hikaru thought as she pivoted on one foot and struck Hinari with the palm of her hand. She was surprised when she saw that it was just a clone. 'Now, where is she?' Hikaru's eyes roved over the landscape, searching. She spotted movement to her left and quickly drew a kunai and blocked the barrage of shuriken headed her way.

'Crap I gave away my position!' Takuro moved out of the tree he was in quickly hoping that Hikaru hadn't seen him. No such luck.

"Rather clumsy of you, don't you think?" Hikaru asked. Takuro jumped back and formed several seals.

'Katon Goukakyuu no Jutsu!' A great fireball enveloped Hikaru. Takuro was breathing heavily and steam was still coming from his mouth. But to his surprise, Hikaru rotated at a fast pace and it blew away the flames. When she came to a stop, she tried to move closer to knock him out, but she couldn't move.

"What is this?" She asked, becoming slightly panicky.

"This is the Nara clan's Kage mane no Jutsu." Tsubaki spoke. Tsubaki craned her head, and so did Hikaru, who saw that Tsubaki's shadow had taken control of her own. Hinari and Akagane appeared beside Takuro.

"Hey, you think you can perform that technique again?" She asked. Takuro nodded.

"Wait up." Tsubaki walked over to them, causing Hikaru's position to change. When all three were standing together, Tsubaki pulled the long steel thing from her hip. She snapped it open and held it open with both hands behind her back.

"That's a huge fan Tsubaki." Hinari remarked.

"I know, my mother gave it to me." Tsubaki said. "On three, we all attack at once." The others nodded in agreement. "One," She pulled her arms back ready to swing the fan forward. Hinari and Takuro began forming seals. "two," They were nearly ready. "three!" Tsubaki swung the fan forward. Hinari and Takuro inhaled deeply.

'Katon Goukakyuu no Jutsu!'

'Kitsune-bi no Jutsu!' Hinari and Akagane's nine-tailed fire fox charged at Hikaru, as did Takuro's great fireball. The wind Tsubaki's fan created fanned the flames to become even larger. At the last second, Tsubaki released Hikaru from her shadow and Hikaru took the full force of all three techniques. Hikaru flew across the area and landed hard. The three ran after her and Takuro and Hinari managed to snatch a bell, leaving Tsubaki in the dust. Hikaru got up and brushed the dirt from her clothes.

"Not bad, not bad at all. Now then, I have to say that all of you pass and get lunch." Hikaru told them.

"But I thought only two get lunch."

"I lied, that was an incentive to get you to work together." Hikaru said producing a third lunch. "So, all three of you pass, and are now officially shinobi. Wear those forehead protector's with pride." She said smiling. The three blinked and sat down to eat lunch. Hikaru went off to feed herself and to report to the Hokage. All three new genin savored their victory, and couldn't help but smile. What they didn't know was that Hikaru had been going easy on them the whole time.

**Okay, with each character that will be important in the story I'll give a short bio on them. **

Uzumaki Hinari

12 years old, born May 31st

5 feet tall, 100 pounds

Genin level

Blue eyes, indigo hair

Uchiha Takuro

12 years old, born February 7th

5' 2", 115 pounds

Genin level

Green eyes, black hair.

Nara Tsubaki

11 years old, born December 18th

5' 1", 105 pounds

Genin level

Brown eyes, blond hair.

Hyuuga Hikaru

25 years old, born May 8th

5' 9", 130 pounds

Jounin level

White eyes, brown hair

Akagane

1 year old, born May 31st

Unknown height and weight

Golden eyes, red fur

**Okay, please review my fic, I'll give you candy! **


	3. Chapter 3: The Next Mission

Hinari

Chapter 3

**Thanks to daisuki-jade-blossoms for her review! SUGOI DESU YO!**

"Hikaru-sensei, why do we get such shitty missions?" Hinari asked as the team left the Hokage's office as they headed down the steps.

"Don't complain Hinari, I gave up the good missions to teach you three." Hikaru said with a sigh.

"But still, couldn't they at least trust us with a C-Rank mission?"

"You guys are rookies; it's too early for C-Rank missions." Hikaru told her. Takuro and Tsubaki listened to the exchange silently.

"She has a point Hikaru-sensei; all we've done is community service. We haven't even stepped outside the village gates." Tsubaki put in. Akagane barked his approval from his perch on Hinari's shoulder. "We've been ninjas for five months already, and all we've done is walk dogs, retrieve run-off pets for the daimyo's wife, and paint houses." Hikaru sighed.

"You guys want a C-Rank that badly?" All three nodded. "All right, I guess I can tell you about our next mission." She said. All three genin perked up instantly. "Our next mission is to escort some architect guy from the village to the Mist Country." Hikaru said.

"That's it?" Takuro asked disappointed.

"What do you mean? It's C-Rank, just like you wanted." Hikaru told them. "So, tomorrow, report to the gates at eight o'clock sharp." Hikaru said separating from the rest of the group. The three walked by the ninja academy and Takuro was tackled by a girl with bright pink hair.

"Big brother!" She cried, hugging him tightly.

"Satoko, what are you doing out here?" Takuro asked, disengaging her from his neck.

"Mama sent me." Satoko said smiling. Then she spotted Akagane. She let out a squeak of joy and practically climbed up the side of Hinari's body to reach the fox. "Cute!" She screeched very close to Hinari's ear. Akagane jumped away in fright. Satoko then decided to chase him around. Akagane weaved between the three genin. He finally leapt up into Tsubaki's arms, and Takuro scooped up his sister and held her a foot off the ground.

"Did mom give you candy?" He asked her. Satoko nodded.

"She gave me chocolate for going to find you!" Satoko flapped her arms up and down at a fast rate.

"You were scaring him." Takuro said, noting Akagane's shaking form.

"Oh, sorry." Satoko hung her head. Takuro adjusted his grip on her and faced the direction of his house.

"I'll see you two tomorrow, I have a hyper child to crash." He said. Takuro leapt up to the roof of the academy and took the straightest direction to his house. Once he was gone, Tsubaki and Hinari broke into fits of laughter.

"His sister is so cute!" Tsubaki said.

"And bouncy." Hinari added. Tsubaki handed Akagane back to Hinari and headed home.

"See you Hinari." She called back. Hinari also went home, carrying Akagane in her arms.

"Akagane, you're growing too fast, soon you won't be able to sit on my shoulder." Hinari said as she set him down on her bed. Akagane looked up at her sadly, and lie down on the bed and fell asleep.

XxXxXxX

Hinari and Akagane arrived at the village gates early. Takuro was the only one there. "Good morning Takuro." She said.

"Morning Hinari." He responded. Takuro crossed his arms over his chest and leaned against the gate. A few minutes later Tsubaki arrived, her steel fan tucked into her sash at the hip, and a backpack on her shoulders.

"Morning guys." She said. Hinari and Takuro nodded in response. The three genin waited in silence for Hikaru and their employer to arrive. Even though no one spoke, they could feel the excitement in the air of a higher class mission.

"Good morning my lovely students!" Hikaru greeted cheerfully. The architect stood next to her. The genin were shocked to see that he looked like he was the Hokage's age. And the Hokage was only into his late twenties. "All right, here is the architect I told you about, his name is Inari." Hikaru said.

"Hikaru-sensei, he looks like he doesn't even need an escort." Tsubaki said.

"He may not look like it, but he does." Hikaru told her. "So, let's get going!" And the five of them set out of the village, bound for Inari's home.

XxXxXxX

"Inari-san, look out!" Hinari cried as the two Mist shinobi charged. Tsubaki got between them and Inari quickly. Tsubaki snapped her fan open and swung it forward, knocking the two towards Hinari and Takuro.

'Katon Goukakyuu no Jutsu!'

'Kitsune-bi no Jutsu!' The two fire techniques enveloped the Mist nin quickly. When it died out, the two were barely alive. They attempted a suicide technique, but Hikaru stopped them.

"Now we can't have that just yet now can we?" She asked them, her eyes boring a hole into them. They looked at her nervously. "So, first, tell me, who is your target?" She asked evenly. Neither answered. "Sealed lips eh? Well, I can fix that." Hikaru's glowed with her chakra, and she struck her palm to one of them, striking him in the chest. He screamed in pain. "I repeat; who is your target?"

"We were paid to whack the architect." He said.

"Who paid you?" Hikaru asked.

"I don't know, we never met him in person. He'd send us letters telling us what to do and the money." He said. Hikaru prepared to strike again. "I swear, I'm telling the truth!" Hikaru glared at him, and with a quick movement struck him in the chest again, and he was dead. She did the same thing to his partner. Hikaru straightened and dusted her hands off. All four of her charges stared at her in fear.

"What? I was a member of the ANBU Interrogation Squad before I became your teacher." She said. That didn't relieve their anxieties about her in the least. "Let's get going." She said, and they continued to walk. "Oh, and Inari, I need to speak to you." Inari and Hikaru talked in whispers while the students strained their ears to hear.

"I'm sorry Hikaru, my village is poor, and we couldn't afford anything higher than a genin team." Inari said.

"If you didn't tell Hokage-sama that, then this mission is far too much for my students to handle. The best course of action is to turn back and inform the Hokage."

"But, I already told you the situation."

"What's going on in your village that the entire village pooled their money to bring something as low as a genin team there?"

"A man has taken over the village. He is terrifying. He and his partners terrorized the village and threatened to kill anyone that tried to stop them. He only let me out on the pretense that I was hired to oversee the construction of some building in a different country." He said.

"Who is this man?"

"He is called Uchiha Itachi." Hikaru gasped and glanced back at Takuro.

"This is much worse than I thought. Uchiha Itachi is infamous in Konoha for the merciless slaughter of his clan. Takuro is his nephew. Itachi allowed his younger brother to live, so that one day he would kill him. Takuro's father Sasuke turned away from that path fifteen years ago. If Itachi finds out about Takuro, he will try and kill the boy and most likely the rest of us!" Hikaru hissed angrily.

"Oh god, what have I done?"

"We have no choice; we will turn back and report to the Hokage."

"But, my wife and daughter are still there. Please, if something was to happen to them, I don't know what I would do. And if I return without help, my village will come to hate ninja. They have trusted ninja to help them since I was ten, when a great team of _genin_ saved the whole country from the strangle hold of a trade monopoly!" Inari said. "If three rookie genin can do that, they can save one village from three men."

"It's not that simple, most likely Itachi will be after both you, Takuro and Hinari. Hinari's father is responsible for the downfall of his organization. He will try and take both of them."

"But still, what else can be done?"

"I'm afraid not much else. I guess, we will continue with the mission as planned." Hikaru said. "If any one of my students dies, it will be your fault."

"I know, but the name Sasuke is familiar." Inari said. He paused to think a moment. "I remember, he was a part of that genin team that saved the country from Gatou."

"What? Then, isn't there a bridge in you village named after Naruto-sama?"

"Yes, we named it because he swore to never give up or go back on his word." Inari said.

"That bridge is named after Hinari's father."

"Oh dear, this just keeps getting more and more complicated." He muttered. Hikaru sighed in resignation. It was too late to go back to the village now. But she knew she'd be putting her students in danger by continuing. But isn't that what a ninja does? A ninja faces death every day, her students might as well get used to it.

XxXxXxX

"Stay quiet, if Itachi finds out there are ninja in the village, he'll kill us all for sure." The pilot of the boat said as she quietly plunged the oar into the water to propel the boat forward. They kids were at attention, listening for any sound that suggested an attack.

"Remember what I said, if we are attacked, your sole purpose is to defend any nearby civilians, and do as I command, no matter what happens." Hikaru whispered. The genin nodded and Akagane whimpered quietly from underneath Hinari's jacket. She stroked his muzzle to quiet him.

'This is so nerve racking, what kind of bastard takes over a defenseless village?' Hinari thought clenching one of her fists in rage. The boat came to a stop at a small pier and they all stepped out quickly.

"Good luck to you four, and my God allow you to live." The pilot said as he cast off.

"This way, I live a little ways passed the village." Inari said beginning to walk. The four shinobi surrounded him and remained on alert. They entered a wooded area, and Akagane sniffed the wind. He yipped softly into Hinari's ear. She closed her eyes and allowed herself to slip into her mind to speak to him. Akagane was already waiting.

_"What is it?"_

_"There's a man in the trees, he reeks of blood." He said._

_"What direction?"_

_"Eight o'clock." He answered._

_"Right." _

Hinari and Akagane returned to their bodies and her eyes snapped open just as an enormous shuriken flew over their heads. Hikaru pulled Inari down to the ground while the genin dodged it. As they looked around, a tall man with muscles on top of his muscles stood before them a katana in one hand. Hikaru came forward and the genin quickly surrounded Inari to protect him.

"If you wish to live, leave this village now!" The man said. Hikaru narrowed her eyes at him. "You're a Hyuuga; never in my life did I think I'd ever get to face a member of such a prestigious family." He said.

"This'll be your first and last meeting with a Hyuuga!" Hikaru said. She turned to her students. "Never leave his side, and if I tell you to run, you run." She commanded. They nodded and watched as the veins around her eyes popped from the amount of chakra concentrated to them. Hikaru took a peculiar stance. One arm outstretched, palm up. Her other arm was brought up in front of her chest and her hand was balled into a tight fist.

"You're Shirohana of the ANBU Interrogation Squad." He said smirking. "What they say is true, you are a beautiful flower." He said. "Then, I will have the pleasure of taking that away!" He raised his sword and charged at an incredible speed. None of the kids could follow what happened next it was so fast.

'Wow, Hikaru-sensei is so strong!' Hinari thought in awe. Hikaru and the man charged and attempted to strike. The man lunged with his katana and missed. Hikaru struck her palm to his shoulder, but before she could strike with her other hand the katana sliced her side. Hikaru let out a groan but managed a kill strike to the heart. Hikaru was about to finish him, when a boy in his late teens appeared and carried the man off with lightning speed. Hikaru sank to her knees and sucked in a breath.

"Hikaru-sensei!" Tsubaki broke formation and ran to the jounin. Hikaru looked up at her students and grinned.

"It's just a flesh wound." She said. Hikaru pressed her hand to her injury and her hand glowed with her chakra. The wound closed slowly and she wiped the blood away. "All right, let's get to Inari-san's house." She said standing up. Hikaru took one step and collapsed. 'Ah shit. I can't use that taijutsu style without falling over still.' She thought with a sigh. Hinari and Takuro each took a hold of her arms and half-carried half-dragged her the rest of the

**I know this is starting to be like the original Naruto story, but that's just my style 'kay? Okay, review please!**


	4. Chapter 4: Discovery of a Kekkei Genkai

Hinari

Chapter 4

Sakura Hanamoto

Hikaru opened her eyes and sat up. She groaned and ran her fingers through her hair. "Hikaru-sensei, you woke up!" A voice said. She heard footsteps and a hand holding a glass of water appeared in front of her face.

"Thank you." She murmured taking it, and downing the water in one gulp. She shook her head to wake herself up and saw that all three of her students were sitting beside her bed. "What happened?"

"After that guy attacked, you fainted so we had to drag you here." Takuro said. Hikaru nodded and pulled the blankets off of her.

"We're at Inari-san's house." Tsubaki told her. "What are we going to do now?" She asked.

"We are going to help this village out. Even if we die in the process." Hikaru said.

"But you said it yourself, these guys are dangerous, and we can't handle them." Hinari said.

"We just have to try our hardest." She said.

"What for? You'll only get yourself killed and made an example of." A boy of eight said as he opened the door. It was Inari's son. Hinari suppressed her rising anger. "Even if you succeed in taking down one, no one can beat Itachi. He's way to strong." He said.

"This is our job as shinobi! We accepted this mission; we have to see it through to the end, even if that end is our death!" Hinari said.

"Hinari, calm yourself." Hikaru said sharply.

"You guys should just turn tail and run back to your village." The boy said. Hinari was strongly tempted to pop him one, but resisted and stuffed her hands into her pockets. The boy left telling them that dinner was ready. The four shinobi made their way to the dining area and sat down.

"Thank you, you four, for helping us. It means so much." Inari said.

"It's quite all right. But, until Itachi and his men make their move, my team will be training." Hikaru said.

"Okay, but I would like you all to see the Great Naruto Bridge up close." Inari said. "My grandfather helped to build it." He added.

"Why is it named after the Rokudaime Hokage?" Tsubaki asked.

"He helped me to see that there's still hope even when you can't see it." Inari answered. "He helped the whole village see it." Inari's wife placed several plates on the table that were filled with rice, fish, and vegetables.

"Well, dig in." She said sitting down. The four ninjas proceeded to do as she ordered.

XxXxXxX

"Who did this to him?" A man dressed in a long black coat with red clouds on it asked.

"A shinobi from Konoha, Itachi-sama." Came the answer.

"Konoha? That's excellent. What was the level of the team?"

"One jounin, three genin, they looked like rookies." The smile on the man's face grew into a sadistic one.

"In four days, we will strike this team down, and make an example of them." Itachi said. "And we shall rebuild Akatsuki to the strength it once was." He said chuckling evilly.

XxXxXxX

"Okay, you three, time to learn to climb trees without your hands." Hikaru said leaning on the crutch.

"Uh, how are we supposed to do that?" Takuro asked. Hikaru then launched into her lecture mode. When she finished she saw that her students had zoned out completely. With a sigh and a roll of her eyes she formed a seal and began walking up a nearby tree with ease. This got the kids' attention.

"All you have to do is focus chakra to your feet and release a set amount." She called down to them. With a flick of her wrist, three kunai landed at their feet. "Use those to mark your progress, and one last thing, climb at a run, it makes things easier." She said. Hinari picked up one of the kunai and lifted Akagane from her shoulder.

"Sorry, but you'll get in the way." She said placing him on the ground. Hinari gripped the kunai in her mouth and formed the seal. She could feel her chakra gathering to her feet. Hinari rushed towards the nearest tree, the second her foot connected with the trunk she was blown away. Takuro and Tsubaki tried next. Tsubaki made it ten feet up the tree before her concentration slipped and she fell to the ground. Takuro however made it to the lower branches of his tree and sat down.

"Having fun?" He asked Hinari as she pulled herself from the ground.

"Ha-ha, very funny smart-ass." She said sticking her tongue out.

"Well, this is unusual, almost without fail it's the girls who have the chakra control thing down." Hikaru said from her perch. Hinari sighed and gripped the kunai tightly.

**"You know, you're mother had the better chakra control. I half expected you to take after her in that sense." **Kyuubi remarked mockingly.

'Oh shut up. I don't need your criticism. Beside, I could walk on water before this, it shouldn't be too difficult.' Hinari retorted. Hinari formed the seal and attentively adjusted her chakra output and charged. She ran straight up the tree, passing first Takuro's place, then Hikaru's. She felt her chakra stop flowing and she plummeted to the ground head first. As she did, she scored a long mark into the bark, marking her place.

"Wow, impressive Hinari. Takuro, get back to work." Hikaru commanded. Hinari managed to land on her side dislocating her shoulder. With a harsh tug she popped it back into place. Takuro and Tsubaki kept working until they were even with Hinari, but they were both running low on chakra. But Hinari had barely broken a sweat.

"You look like your about to collapse Takuro." Hinari remarked with a smirk. Takuro ignored her and tried again, but he couldn't go very far with so little chakra.

"Okay, we're done for the day, you three will come back here everyday until you can reach the very top of the tree." Hikaru said hopping out of her tree and landing with a slight groan. The four made there way back to Inari's house just in time for dinner.

XxXxXxX

After dinner Hikaru sat out on the porch that overlooked the ocean. She stared up at the full moon deep in thought. 'We all promised to make sure Hinari was a happy kid, but we've failed miserably. Rokudaime Hokage, Hinata-sama, forgive us. The villagers are simply repeating a past mistake by mistreating her. Now, she's facing a terrible danger, her and her teammates. What should I do?'

"Hikaru-sensei?" Hikaru turned to see Hinari standing beside her.

"Oh, hello Hinari." Hinari sat beside her teacher.

"Hikaru-sensei, did you know my parents?" Hinari asked.

"I did."

"What were they like?"

"You're father was a great man. He strongly believed that you could change your fate by working your hardest. And so did your mother. They both believed that hard work was the fastest way to achieve a goal." Hikaru said.

"Really?" Hikaru nodded.

"Your father, he was a man that never backed down on a promise, and never abandoned his friends."

"A man that breaks the rules is scum, but a man that abandons his friends is worse than scum." Hinari said.

"Exactly. Your father was scum for always breaking the rules, but he never descended below that. He defended the safety of those he cared about with his life. In the end, that was the death of him." Hinari looked out across the water trying to picture her father. Her only reference was the Hokage Monument, but it didn't help much since she didn't know what color his eyes were, or what kind of expression he usually wore. "And your mother, she was the best head of the Hyuuga clan in all of the clan's history. She changed the clan for the better during her four year headship."

"What did she do?"

"The Hyuuga clan was once divided into two parts. The main and cadet branch. She felt that it was what caused the Hyuuga can to fall into disarray during her father's term as head. So, she merged the two branches, to what it is now. Also, she permitted marriage outside of the clan."

"Wow, sounds like she did quite a bit." Hinari murmured. "What did they look like?"

"Your father had bright yellow hair, and blue eyes. You have his eyes. Also, he always smiled, even when he was being serious. And your mother she had long beautiful indigo hair. Her eyes were the traditional Hyuuga opaque white. You look so much like her." Hikaru said.

"I'm sure life would be very different if they were still alive." Hinari mused.

"Definitely." Hikaru said. "You should get some sleep Hinari, you'll need it tomorrow."

"Okay, good night Hikaru-sensei." Hinari stood up and looked out across the water one final time before retreating back into the house.

"Naruto-sama, Hinata-sama, her childhood may have been a terrible one, but she is happy now. She has friends to look after, people that acknowledge her, and a loyal fox, that would die for her." She whispered up to the sky.

XxXxXxX

"Hey, I'll race you two to the top." Takuro challenged the two girls.

"You're on pretty boy." Hinari accepted, so did Tsubaki who was finding his taunting troublesome and her fingers were starting to itch with the thought of wrapping them around his neck.

"If I win, you guys have to clean and sharpen all of my kunai and shuriken." He said.

"If we win, you get to polish Tsubaki's fan, and bathe Akagane for a week." Hinari told him. Takuro nodded.

"Deal." The three of them readied themselves to start climbing. After a moment they rushed in an explosion of speed. Takuro and Hinari took the lead; Tsubaki did her best to keep up. Hinari pulled farther ahead with ease. Tsubaki increased the amount of chakra to her legs and over took Takuro. Hinari and Tsubaki both reached the top at the same time and watched Takuro finish.

"We win!" They cheered giving each other a high five.

"Whatever. Shouldn't be too hard to bathe Akagane." He muttered. Hinari put on a mischievous grin and looked down at Akagane, who in turn nodded to her. She nodded back. Takuro and Tsubaki were confused by this exchange but thought nothing of it. The three walked back down the trees and hurried over to the Great Naruto Bridge where they were supposed to meet Hikaru.

**"Nice to see that she has some of her father's prankster streak in her, I would have been worried." **Hinari heard Kyuubi mutter in the back of her mind. Hinari ignored him and looked up at the blue sky above.

"Do you think those guys will try and finish what they started with Hikaru-sensei?" Tsubaki asked. Takuro shrugged.

"Who knows, I hope they don't, Hikaru-sensei is still a little stiff from that first fight."

"Whatever happens, we have to protect the villagers, right? It's our job." Hinari said. Tsubaki and Takuro nodded. They neared the bridge when two ronin appeared before them, their swords drawn.

"Not another step kiddies." They warned. Tsubaki reached for a fan that wasn't there, so had to draw a kunai.

"How troublesome." She muttered. Takuro and Hinari also prepared for a fight.

"Takuro, Tsubaki, go on ahead. I'll catch up after Akagane and I take care of these guys." Hinari said crouching down into a taijutsu stance. They nodded and took off.

"You can't defeat us." One said. Hinari chuckled.

"That is where you are wrong." She said smiling. Hinari charged fast, using her chakra to increase her speed. 'I can't let them by, Tsubaki, Takuro and Hikaru-sensei will have their hands full on their own.' She thought as she slashed with her kunai. The two ronin blocked her strikes easily. 'Shit!' Hinari leaped back as a sword gave her a shallow cut on the cheek. Hinari blinked sweat from her eyes and gasped. Her vision changed, now everything she saw was in grayscale. But what stood out most was the chakra circulatory system of the ronin. 'What is this?'

**"Now this is a surprise. A kekkei genkai**.**"** Kyuubi muttered as Hinari's new eyes scanned the area.

'Doesn't answer my question, but if it'll help.' She thought charging in again. The two ronin hesitated when they saw her eyes. Hinari took that chance to deliver a sweeping kick to one; she came back up to strike the second with her kunai. She danced lithely around a sword and plunged her kunai into his chest. He fell dead. A loud bark caught her attention, and she spun as the second ronin was preparing to stab her in the back with his sword. Akagane leapt at him, clawing at his face, momentarily blinding him. Hinari rushed through his lowered defenses and slashed his throat. When she was certain he was dead she took off at a full run to catch up to the rest of the team.

**"Hinari-chan, focus your chakra to your eyes, see what happens."** Kyuubi commanded.

"Right," Hinari did as she was told and gasped, not only was she still seeing grayscale, but she saw much farther ahead than she could have. "What the hell-?"

**"You my dear have inherited one of the greatest kekkei genkai in Konoha, the Byakugan."**

**"**What's a kekkei genkai?" She asked aloud.

**"It's a special ability passed down from parent to child through genetics. In essence, it's an inherited trait from** **your mother's side. I'm surprised, almost all Hyuuga have white eyes, and I guess you're the exception."** Hinari was somewhat baffled but kept moving, time was of the essence, and she had to help her team.

"Almost there!" She cried when the bridge came within her normal field of vision. She raced to the bridge and looked ahead, farther across the bridge. 'Where is everyone?' She thought.

**"Hinari, behind you!"** Kyuubi cried. Hinari turned in time to see the same man that Hikaru had fought. She rolled out of the way of his sword just in time.

"Where are my friends?" She demanded a growl escaping her lips. He laughed.

"They're all dead!" He said calmly. Hinari shook her head, she refused to believe that.

"You're lying." She whispered. Akagane stood between them growling, trying to get the man to back off.

"See for yourself." He said pointing. Hinari automatically turned, and she fell into the trap. A tall man with red eyes caught her attention, and he was gone, replaced by her friends, all three horribly mutilated and on the brink of death.

"No, no, no, no, no, no, NOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" She screamed at the top of her lungs, ripping at her hair. That's when they spoke.

"It's your fault Hinari; we're dying because you took too long." Hikaru stood before her, one eye missing, her arms nearly ripped off.

"Thanks a lot slowpoke." Takuro hissed angrily, his body was burned beyond recognition.

"You're so troublesome Hinari, why don't you just die." Tsubaki said, her steel fan was impaled through her stomach. Hinari fell to her knees and wept. Hinari's eyes were wide open in fear for her own life, she couldn't her Kyuubi anymore, and Akagane was gone from her side.

"I'm alone, again, no one's here to help now. No," She whispered to herself.

"You're not alone!" She heard a voice cry. Hinari looked up, and the images of her mutilated teammates were gone, she was on the bridge, a man stood between her and the man with the red eyes. A woman with pink hair had one arm around her.

"Who are you?" Hinari asked quietly. The woman smiled.

"We are the Uchiha." She responded. Hinari gasped, this was Takuro's family, his mother and father. Hinari looked up to see Takuro's father facing down the man with the red eyes.

"Takuro, Tsubaki, Hikaru-sensei, where are they?"

"Farther down the bridge, they're all okay." She answered.

"Sakura, get her to Hikaru." Sakura nodded and helped Hinari to her feet. They took off together, Akagane bounding after them.

"Why are you here?"

"Fulfilling a promise we made years ago." She answered. Hinari didn't understand those words but asked no more. They came upon Hikaru standing in front of Inari to protect him. Takuro and Tsubaki were dispatching one enemy each. Hinari saw Takuro's eyes and gasped, his eyes looked like the other man's at the end of the bridge.

"What's wrong with Takuro's eyes?"

"That's the Uchiha kekkei genkai, the Sharingan." Sakura answered.

"But that man down there-," She began.

"That man is Uchiha Itachi, Takuro's uncle." Sakura explained. A momentary flashback went through her mind.

Flashback

"Uchiha Sasuke, I have been informed that your brother Itachi has been sighted in the Wave Country." The Hokage reported. Sasuke bristled at the name but remained motionless. "I should also add that your son and Uzumaki Hinari are on a mission in that same area." He told him. This spurred a more vocal reaction.

"What!? Shit!" Sasuke cursed and turned on his heel to leave.

"Where are you going?" Konohamaru asked.

"To save my son!" He answered as he ran out the door. His wife Sakura was walking passed him when he ran by cursing. She immediately followed him.

"Sasuke! What's going on?" She asked him.

"Itachi is in the Wave Country, and so is Takuro!" He answered still running.

"You're-," She began.

"I'm keeping my promise to you Sakura, but I'm also keeping the promise I made twelve years ago." He said. Sakura understood and ran beside him.

"Then, let's get going." She told him.

End

Hinari watched Takuro battle against a teenage boy not much older than themselves. When he was knocked to the ground Hinari responded by charging at the teen. She came in with a drop kick and sent him flying. Hinari helped Takuro to his feet and they faced the opponent together.

"I was starting to wonder when you'd show up." He hissed between his teeth in annoyance.

"I came didn't I?" Hinari retorted weakly. "Anyway, there's no time for arguing, let's take this guy out." Hinari said crouching low, and closing her eyes momentarily to reactivate her Byakugan. Hinari and Takuro charged together, Hinari went or a high kick while Takuro aimed lower. They sent the boy flying, and he was caught in a powerful gust of wind created by Tsubaki's fan. Tsubaki's opponent and the boy were sliced and diced by the wind technique and died. They gathered around Hikaru, Inari, and Sakura.

"You three did pretty well." Hikaru said. "By the way Hinari, what happened to the two ronin?" Hinari sighed.

"They're dead." She said slowly. The concept of murder was new to her, she knew that killing was part of the job description, but it still bugged her. Hikaru nodded understandingly and placed a hand on her shoulder. From the other end of the bridge they heard an ear piercing sound and a great cry.

"Chidori!" The sound faded and all was quiet. They ran to find Sasuke with his hand pierced through Itachi's heart. Sasuke pulled his hand out of his brother's body. Itachi lay on the ground dying.

"Thank you, brother." He whispered with his last breath. Sasuke sank to his knees. Never in his life did he think he'd ever kill his brother. Sakura wrapped her arms around her husband to comfort him.

"It's okay Sasuke, it's over now." She whispered to him. Sasuke nodded and got back up.

"Are you okay, Takuro?" He asked. Takuro nodded once. "Thank God, how about you Tsubaki, Hinari?" The two girls nodded. Tsubaki was a little intimated by Takuro's father, but got over it quickly. Hikaru then turned to Inari.

"Inari-san, I believe our work here is done. I wish you and your village the best of luck." Hikaru said. "Come on kids, let's get home now." She said. They all nodded.

"Hikaru-sensei, our stuff is still at Inari-san's house." Hinari said.

"Oh yeah, that's right. Okay, first we go there grab our stuff, say good-bye and then we leave." Hikaru said. They couldn't help but laugh.


	5. Chapter 5: A Long Day

Hinari

Chapter 5

Sakura Hanamoto

Hinari and the rest of the team sat together in their usual training grounds eating lunch. Takuro heaved a sigh. "Ever since the Wave, our missions have been so boring in comparison." He said. The girls nodded.

"I don't think we'll be getting any missions as exciting as that one for a while." Tsubaki added. The genin and Akagane continued to eat.

"Where'd Hikaru-sensei go?" Hinari asked. Takuro shrugged in answer.

"Who knows, it's not like we should worry about her." He said.

XxXxXxX

"I'm certain that all of you are aware that the Chuunin exam is approaching." Konohamaru said addressing the group of jounin gathered in his office. They all nodded. "Now, among the three rookie teams, will the instructors step forward please?" Hikaru, a tall man with wild black hair and another man with a bald head stepped closer to his desk. "So, what do you three have to say?" He asked. Hikaru spoke first.

"I, Hyuuga Hikaru, instructor to team number seven of Uzumaki Hinari, Uchiha Takuro, and Nara Tsubaki; wish to nominate my subordinates to participate in the Chuunin Exam." She said. Konohamaru nodded. The bald man spoke next.

"I, Kaboshi Takuya, instructor to team number ten of Hikazaki Daisuke, Inuzuka Kana, and Kusakabe Masaru; wish to nominate my team to participate in the Chuunin exam." He finished, and Konohamaru nodded again.

"And you, Izumi?" He asked.

"I Rizu Izumi, instructor to team number eight wish of Inuzuka Kouga, Aburame Hiro, and Omoriyama Haruka; wish to nominate my subordinates to participate in the Chuunin exam."

"Now that that is settled, Iruka, hand me the roster for foreign team that are participating." Iruka stepped forward and handed him a clipboard. Konohamaru glanced at it. "Three from Suna, two from Oto, two from Kiri, and many others. You are all dismissed." He said.

XxXxXxX

"Onii-chan!" Satoko clung to her older brother like an urchin. "'Nii-chan, come play ninja with me!" She begged tugging on his hair.

"Ow! I can't Satoko; I'm waiting for my teacher to come." He responded. Satoko pouted.

"Can't you play until your teacher comes?" She asked. Tsubaki and Hinari were amused by the exchange.

"A ninja playing ninja? That's kinda pathetic." A female voice spoke. They turned to see a brunette girl of about fifteen with her hair tied back into a ponytail. She wore a forehead protector that they didn't recognize.

"Tamika?" Tsubaki said aloud.

"Tsubaki-chan is that you?" She asked. Takuro and Hinari looked back and forth between the two.

"Uh, Tsubaki, explanation please?" Hinari asked. Tsubaki laughed.

"Guys, this is my cousin Tamika, Tamika these are my teammates, Takuro and Hinari., and Takuro's little sister Satoko." Tsubaki said.

"Nice to meetya." Tamika said.

"So, what are you doing here of all places Tamika?" Tsubaki asked.

"You mean you don't know?" Tamika was surprised. "The Chuunin exam is coming, and you three genin haven't heard about it yet?"

"Uh, don't think so, did Hikaru-sensei ever mention it?" Tsubaki asked her teammates. They shook their heads.

"Hey, Tamika, don't wander off will ya?" Two boys approached the group. One was dressed completely in black and something strapped to his back wrapped in bandages, he had face paint all over his face. The other boy had red hair and black eyes, and a large gourd strapped to his back, and a sour look on his face.

"Then learn to keep Kanda!" She yelled at him.

"Kanda, Yasha how have you been?" Tsubaki walked up to the two.

"Li'l Tsubaki?" Kanda cocked an eyebrow at her.

"Who are you calling little?" She demanded angrily hitting him on the head with her fan.

"Okay, not so little, but you still hit pretty damn hard." He muttered rubbing the top of his head. Once again, Takuro and Hinari were left out of the conversation. Takuro cleared his throat and Tsubaki laughed nervously.

"Uh, Takuro, Hinari, these are my two other cousins, Yasha and Kanda." She said.

"Just how many cousins do you have Tsubaki?" Hinari asked.

"Three, Tamika is the oldest, and then Kanda, they're Uncle Kankurou's kids. And then Yasha, were the same age, he's Uncle Gaara's son." Tsubaki explained.

"We're starting to feel a little jealous of you Tsubaki." Hinari said.

"Why's that?"

"I have no family, and Takuro had an uncle until two weeks ago, and no other relatives." She explained.

"Oh right, sorry." Tsubaki scratched the back of her head.

"Don't apologize, but anyway, where the hell is Hikaru-sensei! She's late!" Takuro cried losing his patience. Just then a puff of smoke exploded in between the two groups.

"Sorry guys, I got lost on the road of life." Hikaru said borrowing a line from a retired ninja.

"No shitty excuses! Why'd you make us wait here?" Takuro demanded. Hikaru tsk-ed.

"Such language around your little sister, what kind of example are you setting?" It was then that Takuro remembered his sister clinging to his back like a monkey.

"Satoko-chan, you won't tell mom will you?" Takuro asked in a fake sweet voice.

"Gimme candy!" She demanded smiling evilly. Takuro sighed.

"I'll buy you candy, okay?" He said.

"Yay! But I'll still tell mama." She said snickering.

"What? But you said you wouldn't tell."

"No I didn't." Takuro's eyebrow twitched in annoyance. Hinari and Tsubaki giggled at this.

"Wow, Takuro, I didn't know your sister could be so evil." Hinari said laughing harder.

"It's not funny!" He yelled. Hinari couldn't stop laughing.

"Yes it is." She managed to gasp.

"You die now!" He started to chase her around and around.

"'Nii-chan, don't kill Hinari-nee-chan, mama wants her to come over for dinner." Satoko screamed into his ear.

"What!? Oh man, this stinks." Takuro stopped running and Hinari eventually calmed down enough to breath, but she was still giggling.

"Is your team normally this insane?" Kanda asked Tsubaki.

"Not normally, I think he's still sore about losing to us in a bet." Tsubaki said. "That reminds me. Takuro-kun, you remember our bet?" She asked sweetly. Takuro fell into an exaggerated gloom.

"How could I forget?" Tsubaki pulled her fan from behind her back and shoved it into his arms.

"Now, I want it polished until I can see my face in it." She said grinning. Hinari added to the pile by setting Akagane on top of the fan.

"Make sure he's nice and clean, and don't forget to feed him too." Hinari said. She bent down to Akagane's ear and whispered into it.

"Hey what are you whispering?!" Takuro demanded angrily. Hinari looked up and smiled cutely.

"Nothing." She told him in a singsong voice. Takuro groaned in despair. Hikaru cleared her throat and got there attention.

"Now, to why I had you meet me. I've nominated all three of you to take part in the Chuunin exam in two weeks." She said handing each of them a sheet of paper. "Fill that out and bring it to the designated location two weeks from tomorrow. That's all, no missions during those two weeks." She said disappearing.

"Well, now that that's over, do you guys want to come to my house?" Tsubaki asked her cousins. They nodded and the four of them wandered off.

"I guess your coming with us then Hinari." Takuro said. Hinari nodded and they all headed for Takuro's house. Satoko ran ahead of them singing about the candy she would get from her brother while the two genin talked.

"You and your sister are so different; it's hard to believe you're related." Hinari said.

"I think the same thing every day." Takuro muttered. "But, family is family, not much I can do about it." He added with a laugh.

"I guess." Hinari sighed and stared at the sky above them, but not really staring.

'She's kinda cute with that expression.' Takuro thought involuntarily. 'Wait, what?' He couldn't believe he'd think such a thing about his own teammate.

"Takuro, you all right?" Hinari asked breaking his train of thought.

"I'm fine Hinari." He responded not daring to look at her.

"Onii-chan! Hurry up! Mama wants you home now!" Satoko called from the front gate of the Uchiha house. Takuro and Hinari jogged the rest of the way and came to the gate. What Hinari saw on the other side made her gasp. Because the Uchiha clan only consisted of four members, Sasuke had moved the family to a much smaller manor that the immensely large complex on the outskirts of the village. But to Hinari this manor was very big to her having grown up on the streets of Konoha.

"Wow," she whispered in shock. The front of the manor was a combination of a training ground and a garden. From what she could see there was plenty of room for a hyperactive child like Satoko to run around, and enough space for Takuro to train.

"Hello, earth to Hinari, hello." Takuro waved his hand in front of her face to get her attention.

"What do your parents do for a living?" Hinari asked Takuro.

"Uh, mom's the head Medical-nin and is in charge of the hospital. And dad is head of the police force." He answered.

"You are so lucky!" Hinari entered the small compound and drank in every sight, sound, and smell.

"I'm glad you like it so much Hinari-chan." Hinari spun to see Takuro's mother standing in the garden, a trowel in her hand.

"Uchiha-san, it's nice to see you again." Hinari said with a bow. Sakura laughed, though grateful that the girl did show respect to her elders, in comparison to her father who called the Hokages during his time "Old man" and "Granny".

"You can just call me Sakura." She said leaving the garden and approached Hinari. "I never noticed before, but you look so much like you mother." She said smiling.

"Really?" Sakura nodded. Though she'd heard this before from Hikaru, she was still happy that others thought so as well.

"Why don't we go inside then?" Sakura suggested and the three kids entered the house. Sakura headed to the kitchen and started on getting dinner ready. Satoko disappeared to her room, and Takuro and Hinari sat together in the family room talking.

"So what do you think about this Chuunin Exam thing?" Takuro asked her.

"Sounds like fun." Hinari answered. In truth she was a little nervous about it. Especially since she was well aware that there would be teams out there that were much stronger then her own. Akagane wandered about, exploring everything. An uncomfortable silence fell over them. Neither could think of anything to say.

'Was it always this hard to talk to her?' Takuro thought doubtfully. 'I don't think so; we get along just fine, so why the hell can't I talk to her without feeling stupid!' He came out of his thoughts at the sound of his father's voice.

"Hi dad." He greeted his father as he walked in.

"Hello Takuro, Hinari." He said giving the girl a slight nod. Hinari blushed under his scrutinizing gaze. Sakura appeared from the kitchen and embraced her husband.

"Dinner's almost ready, why don't you go clean up." She suggested to the kids. They got up and disappeared down the hall. When Hinari and Takuro were out of earshot, Sakura spoke to Sasuke.

"What do you think of Hinari-chan?" She asked.

"A lot like them. She wears the same mask her father did, just, there's less smiles and laugh there." He said.

"Yeah, but no inferiority complex thankfully." Sakura added.

"I wish we could have helped her so much more, after we told Naruto we'd watch over her, we did a bad job of it." Sasuke said, his hand tightening into a fist.

"I know Sasuke, but we can make her future brighter can't we?" Sakura said. Sasuke nodded.

"Yeah, in memory of herm other and father, we can make sure she has the best future possible." He agreed. Takuro and Hinari returned and Sakura set everything down on the dinner table. The Uchiha family and Hinari sat down and ate, and talked, and laughed.

"So I hear you two are taking the Chuunin Exam." Sakura said to Hinari and Takuro. They nodded.

"Good luck, you'll need it." Sasuke said. Sakura nodded.

"Several of us barely survived." She added.

"Us?" Takuro asked.

"Our friends from the academy, we were called the Konoha Thirteen, as jounin. But we were just the Konoha Eleven when we were still genin." She said.

"There were thirteen of you? Wow." Hinari said.

"And we all got married, except for Lee-san, poor man." Sakura said.

"You mean that creepy jounin that wears green spandex?" Takuro asked. Sasuke nodded.

"Lee-san isn't creepy, he's eccentric." Sakura told him. "He did scare me when I first met him though."

"He scared us all Sakura." Sasuke told her. Sakura laughed. "Enough of that though, I hope your team makes it to the final round." He said encouragingly.

The five of them finished dinner and sat around talking. Takuro and Hinari went up to the roof of the manor to look up at the stars.

"Hinari, can I ask you a question?"

"You just did." Hinari replied. Takuro smiled at her wit. "Go ahead." She added.

"I've always wondered this, but, where do you live?" He asked.

"I live in a small apartment near the center of the village." Hinari replied. "Now its' my turn to ask you a question." She grinned. "How do you keep those annoying fangirls away?" She inquired.

"I learned from my dad, its called run like hell." He answered. Hinari giggled at his reply. "Yep, but now that we've left the Academy there aren't any fangirls anymore. At least, not that often. All of them went back to the academy since they couldn't pass the bells test."

"That's good."

"Yeah, but I miss the workout." Takuro grinned and Hinari laughed out loud. They kept laughing for a while until Sakura called up to them.

"Hey you guys, it's getting kind of late." She said.

"Yeah, I need to get home." Hinari said jumping down, Takuro jumped after her.

"I'll walk you home." He said.

"Thanks." Hinari and Takuro walked off and Sakura smiled.

XxXxXxX

"Well, we're here." Hinari said as they approached the front door of her apartment. She reached for the doorknob when it jiggled. Raising an eyebrow she tried to turn the knob, but it popped out of the whole it was in. Hinari shoved the door open and flicked on the light. She gasped by what she saw. On the wall opposite her were words painted in red paint. "DIE YOU STUPID DEMON!" Hinari stepped forward a bit and felt her foot catch on something. It was a trip wire. "Shit!" She leapt back and drew a kunai as a volley of projectiles shot towards her. Hinari blocked several, but on struck her shoulder, and she grunted in pain. Another hit her left hand, her writing hand. She dropped her kunai and stepped backwards towards the door only to trip another wire.

"Hinari!" Takuro caught her as a heavy pale filled with refuse hit her on the head knocking her out. Takuro drew a kunai and blocked the remaining volley, with his left hand, he closed the door, but one final shuriken slipped through and embedded itself in his shoulder. He pulled it out and dropped it on the floor. "Hinari, speak to me Hinari, please." Hinari's eyes did not open, nor did she move. "Dammit!" Takuro lifted the girl into his arms and took off at full speed back to his house. As he ran, leaping from one roof to another, it began to rain.

XxXxXxX

"What is taking that boy so long?" Sakura muttered as she looked out the window at the rain.

"Don't worry Sakura, I'm sure he's fine." Sasuke told her. Just then the door slid open and a dripping wet Takuro ran in, an unconscious Hinari in his arms.

"Oh my god, what happened Takuro!" Sakura asked as she ran forward. She took Hinari from him and brought her to the kitchen table. Sasuke ran for the first aid kit.

"We got to her apartment, and when she opened the door, she tripped a trap wire, and kunai and shuriken started flying at her. She couldn't block all of them, and then she tripped the second trap trying to get out the door again. A heavy bucket landed on her head. I brought her back here." Takuro explained. Sasuke returned and wrapped bandages around Takuro's hand to stop the bleeding. Sakura pulled the kunai and shuriken from Hinari's body, and as each one was removed, Hinari's skin hissed as it began to heal. Takuro was too worried to notice but Sakura and Sasuke saw it.

'The Kyuubi must be healing her already.' Sakura thought as she pressed her hands to Hinari's wounds and they closed faster. Soon her injuries were gone with not even a scar remaining. Finally, Sakura examined her head. She pulled Hinari's eyelids open and looked into her eyes.

"How is she?" Takuro asked.

"She has a concussion. If she doesn't wake up soon, we take her to the hospital." She said.

"How soon?" Takuro asked.

"Within fifteen minutes." She answered. Takuro bit his lip nervously. "Sasuke, get some of my old clothes from my room, then leave, I need to get her out of these wet clothes." Sasuke hurriedly complied, and Takuro stepped out of the kitchen and away from the hallway. Sasuke walked by with some of Sakura's old clothes in his hands. He gave them to Sakura and closed the kitchen door. He placed a hand on his son's shoulder.

"She'll be all right." He said. Takuro nodded but was still nervous.

Several minutes later, Sakura opened the door, and revealed Hinari wide awake and slightly confused. Hinari looked up and smiled at Takuro who subsequently blushed.

"I'm glad you're okay Hinari." He said not daring to look at her face should he become tongue tied.

"Thanks, but, is the room supposed to be spinning right now?" She asked.

"No, but that'll stop soon. Don't worry." Sakura answered. "But now, you should get some proper sleep." Sakura told her. Hinari lightly hopped off the table and nearly collapsed as her legs nearly gave out. Takuro was there to hold her up.

"I'll take you to one of the guest rooms." He said wrapping an arm around her waist bravely. He led her away while his parents watched.

"Those two would look very cute together." Sakura remarked with a sigh.

"Wonder what her father would think." Sasuke said as he wrapped his arms around her. Sakura laughed at the thought.

XxXxXxX

"Thank you, Takuro." Hinari said as she sat on the bed.

"No problem, well, you should get some sleep." Takuro said turning to leave. "And, if you need anything, my room is right next door to the left." He said. Hinari nodded and crawled under the covers. Akagane slipped through the door and curled up next to her. Hinari absently stroked his back until she fell asleep. Takuro sighed and closed the door silently. 'What is this feeling in my chest? When I look at her, it gets all tight and it's hard to breath. And when she laughs or smiles, my stomach does a back flip.' He thought retreating to his own room.

**Aww, how cute, could Takuro be falling for Hinari? Well duh, only an idiot wouldn't notice. Thanks daisuki-jade-blossoms for your review.**


	6. Chapter 6:The Telling of the Past

Hinari

Chapter 6

Sakura Hanamoto

Three days after her apartment was vandalized by the villagers, Hinari declined all offers of a place to stay. She preferred camping out in the forest surrounding the village. Hinari stared up at the stars and sighed. It was here in the forest where she met the heir to the Hyuuga clan. Akagane nudged her to get her attention. "What is it?" She asked sitting up. In the distance towards the village she could hear ringing bells.

**"It's coming from the Hyuuga complex."** Kyuubi told her. Automatically Hinari raised her nose to the sky and took in a long breath. Sifting through the scents that invaded her brain, she came upon two that wasn't recognized. Hinari and Akagane hid in some bushes and remained still. Soon Hinari could here the sounds of someone crashing through the trees.

'Whoever it is sure sucks at stealth.' She thought. A few moments later a shinobi dressed completely in black came into the small clearing and collapsed on the ground. Hinari activated her Byakugan and surveyed him. 'An Oto-nin? What the hell is he doing here in Konoha?' She noticed that he was carrying two things. One appeared to be a scroll; the other was a girl maybe four years old. The girl squirmed in an attempt to escape from her captor. But what Hinari noticed was her eyes, they were white. 'She's a Hyuuga!' Hinari let out a quiet growl not unlike a foxes. The Oto-nin heard it.

"Who's there?" He demanded looking around and drawing a kunai. Hinari continued to growl and began leaking chakra. It wasn't her normal chakra either, it was Kyuubi's chakra. The enemy felt the amount of killer intent directed at him. The little Hyuuga girl bit his hand fiercely and he dropped her roughly. She began to cry.

"Help!" She screamed at the top of her lungs. Hinari barked dangerously and leapt from the bushes moving on all fours. The girl saw Hinari and ran behind her.

"You will not harm a hair on this girl's head." She growled out, her crystal blue eyes slowly turning blood red. The Oto-nin gulped nervously and backed away. Hinari charged at him without even thinking, going by her enhanced instincts only. Her long claw like nails tore at his throat killing him instantly. Hinari stood over his limp form breathing heavily. The Kyuubi's chakra no longer over powered hers, and she looked more human again. She turned to the crying girl and approached her. Scooping her light body into her arms she cradled her until she fell asleep. Hinari wrapped the girl in her blanket and picked up the scroll the shinobi had been carrying. Curiously she unrolled it and looked at it.

"That's the Shodaime's scroll." Kyuubi informed her.

'That makes that guy over there a thief and an attempted murderer.' Hinari told him. 'I wonder what kind of techniques are in here.' Hinari looked at the listings of techniques. 'Oroike no jutsu? What kind of sick pervert comes up with a technique like that?!' Hinari continued to browse through it. 'Kage Bunshin no jutsu, looks interesting.' Hinari stood up and attempted to perform the technique. 'Kage Bunshin no jutsu!' With a soft bang, five clones stood around her. "Cool!" Hinari thought as she dismissed the clones one by one. She heard voices that weren't too far away.

"This way! Quickly!" Hinari rolled the scroll back up and picked the Hyuuga girl up, with the blanket still wrapped around her to keep her warm. Four shinobi burst through the trees and one hastily pinned her to a tree with multiple kunai and shuriken.

"Where's Hitomi-sama?" He demanded.

"What?" Hinari never relinquished her hold on the scroll nor, the girl.

"Katsuya-san, that's my student!" Hinari heard Hikaru appear.

"Hikaru-sensei! What the hell is going on?" Hinari asked.

"I'm sorry Hinari; the heir to the Hyuuga clan has just been kidnapped." Hikaru explained to her. As she finished saying this the girl in Hinari's arms woke up. Hikaru looked at her in surprise. "Hitomi-hime, you're safe, thank goodness!" Hikaru took Hitomi from Hinari and held her tightly.

"I was right; she did take Hitomi-sama! Not surprising coming from that demon bitch!" Katsuya said.

"Shut up! I'm sure there's a rational explanation. Hinari, tell us what happened." Hikaru said encouragingly.

"I was trying to fall asleep when I heard the bells ringing, a few minutes after that, the Oto-nin appeared. I saw that he was carrying this scroll," at this, Hinari handed the scroll over to Hikaru as well, "and he was carrying Hitomi. I got really angry, and the next thing I realized was that he was lying on the ground, dead, over there." Hinari pointed to the cadaver near Katsuya's feet.

"Come one Hinari, we'd best explain this to Hanabi-sama, and Hokage-sama." Hikaru said. Hinari nodded and lifted Akagane into her arms and settled him on her shoulder and they set out back to the village.

XxXxXxX

"Hokage-sama, it is clear that the girl is lying! Have you forgotten what-!"

"I know perfectly well that she is Katsuya! Not shut up and sit down!" Konohamaru bellowed slamming his fist down on his desk. Katsuya sat down and stared at the floor. "As we speak, Sasuke-sama is conducting an investigation at the Hyuuga compound, and Sakura-sama is performing an autopsy on the body." Konohamaru said. "Now, for the business involving Hinari here, why weren't you at home?" He asked.

"I-my apartment was trashed by the villagers." Hinari answered.

"Why didn't you come to me with this?"

"I didn't think it important enough." She said her voice barely above a whisper.

"The happiness of every member of this village is important." Konohamaru told her.

"Then send me away dammit! Everyone would be better off without me!" Hinari cried waving her arms about.

"Hinari, you know that's not true!" Hikaru said.

"Yes it is! I've seen the looks the villagers give, the real reason I couldn't pass the genin exam was because my teachers failed me on purpose, and Iruka-sensei was the only sensible teacher I had. And I know what it is inside of me. Kyuubi-san is the only reason I survived eight years on the streets." Hinari said. This surprised everyone in the room. No one spoke for a moment until Konohamaru cleared his throat.

"Um, well, since you know, then I suppose we can't pretend it's not real." Konohamaru said. Hinari frowned and sighed. Hinari unslung the scroll from her back and placed on his desk.

"Hokage-sama with all do respect, it might be safer to have her leave, if she knows about the Kyuubi-," Katsuya began.

"Shut the hell up you idiot! Stop letting the bias of the villagers cloud your judgment!" Hikaru commanded sternly.

"That's enough Hikaru." A soft voice said behind them. They all spun to see the head of the Hyuuga clan standing at the door.

"Forgive me Hanabi-sama." Hikaru said. The woman who was scarcely older than Konohamaru approached Hinari with a calculating eye.

"Tell me child, do you know of your heritage?" She asked.

"Yes, I do ma'am." Hinari answered truthfully. "Kyuubi-san told me the day I graduated from the academy." Hinari told her.

"Then you realize that you are my niece." She said.

"Niece? I was not aware of any extended family specifically, only that I was related to the Hyuuga clan." Hinari told her.

"Than Kyuubi-san, was it, has left you in the dark considerably." Hanabi said. "Also, I would like to thank you for saving my daughter." She said.

"You mean Hitomi correct?" Hanabi nodded to her. "You're very welcome ma'am, just doing my job as a shinobi." Hinari said hoping to sound humble.

"Hinari-chan let me talk to them." Kyuubi said.

'How?' She asked.

"Perform these seals, rabbit, dragon, and horse." He told her. "Then channel a small amount of chakra to your hand and press it to the ground. This technique is called Kitsune no Kuchiyose no jutsu." He finished giving her the instructions. Hinari did as she was told and preformed the seals.

"Kitsune no Kuchiyose no jutsu." She muttered pressing her palm to the ground. In a loud pop and a puff of smoke, a small fox about the size of Akagane sat there staring at her.

"Hello there, Hinari-chan."

"K-Kyuubi-san?" The fox nodded. Hinari's eyes widened. She lifted up her shirt and saw the seal on her stomach glowing. "How-?"

"A momentary astro projection of my soul." He answered. Kyuubi leapt up to the desk and looked at Konohamaru. "My you look very much like your uncle." He commented. Hanabi cleared her throat in annoyance. "So sorry, well, I can explain everything that happened, if you'd like, I'll start from the day Hinari was born." He said.

"Go ahead." Konohamaru said.

xxxFlashbackxxx

_"Come on Hinata-chan, you can do it!" A tall blonde man urged his wife while gritting his teeth. He was pretty certain that his entire hand was crushed._

_"Hinata, just one more push." Sakura said from the end of the bed. Hinata shut her eyes and let out a cry of pain. Immediately afterward, a baby's cried could be heard. Hinata let out a sigh of relief and let go of Naruto's hand. "Congratulations you two, it's a girl!" Sakura said wiping the newborn with a towel. Naruto smiled widely and kissed his wife. Sakura handed the bundle to Hinata. Sakura walked to the door and opened it momentarily._

_The large group sitting outside looked up expectantly. "It's a girl!" She announced to them. Several cheers went up and money was being passed around among the men. Sakura rolled her eyes at them and laughed._

_"Sakura-sama, come in here! Hurry!" The cry of a nurse brought them back to reality. They all noted the urgency in her voice. Sakura ran back to Hinata to see that she was bleeding greatly._

_"Sakura-chan, help her please!" Naruto begged, holding his daughter in his arms. Naruto turned to Hinata, worry in his eyes. "Hinata-chan, it'll be okay." He whispered. Hinata gave him a weak smile._

_"I love you Naruto-kun." She whispered as she closed her eyes slowly._

_"No, Hinata-chan." Naruto shook his head, but he knew it was true. Hinata's monitors had gone blank and she's flat lined. The nurse quickly took Hinari from his arms as he sank to his knees crying. "HINATA!" He screamed in sorrow. Sakura could do nothing to help him. She looked at the clock._

_"Time of death, seven thirty-two p.m." She muttered quietly. Slowly, she walked back to the door. As she reached for the handle a powerful rush of chakra emitted from Naruto's body. It was so powerful if threw her through the door and into the opposite wall. In the next moment, she heard the screams of terror. She looked up, and so did everyone else. The seal that held Kyuubi within Naruto had been released. The group gathered in the hall gaped at its power, while Sakura pulled herself to her feet._

_"Sakura! Where's Naruto?" Her husband, Sasuke asked. Sakura pointed to the demolished operating room. Naruto lay on the ground, unconscious. Sasuke ran to help the Hokage. Sasuke pulled Naruto to his feet as he revived._

_"Hinata-chan," He muttered quietly._

_"I'm sorry Naruto." Sasuke whispered. "But, we have bigger problems to deal with." He pointed to the Kyuubi that was making his way through the village. "You have to stop it." He said._

_"What for?"_

_"You're the Hokage! It's your job to protect the village!" Sasuke yelled at him. "Didn't you always say that you'd protect those precious to you with your life? Well, if this village means anything to you, then go out there and stop that demon!" Sasuke cocked his arm back and punched Naruto. "Think of those defenseless people! Think of your daughter who's not even five minutes old yet!" At this Naruto came out of his daze._

_"You're right Sasuke. I have to stop him, but I can't kill him, no one can. I can only seal him within another." He said. "But who would give up their whole life to do it?" Naruto asked._

_"Naruto-sama, the technique only works on one who's chakra system that hasn't fullt developed for chakra manipulation." Shino said pushing up his sun glasses. Naruto nodded and glanced at his daughter._

_"Forgive me, Hinata-chan." He whispered as he took his daughter in his arms and cradled her gently. "Uzumaki Hinari, already, your life will be difficult, it might the be the worst life anyone can have. I love you my daughter." He said kissing her on the forehead. "Sakura, get me a scroll and a pen, I need to right some things down." He said. Sakura quickly brought what he requested. Naruto proceeded to right a lengthy letter for Hinari to read when she was old enough. When he was done, he sealed it and handed it to Neji. "Keep this until Hinari is old enough to have. And, this as well." Naruto removed his necklace and handed it to Konohamaru._

_"Naruto-'nii-sama." He whispered in shock_

_"Sarutobi Konohamaru, I now name you Nanadaime Hokage of Konohagakure no Sato. Do you accept this responsibility?" Konohamaru nodded. Naruto smiled._

_"Sasuke, ready Hinari-chan for the sealing technique." Sasuke and Sakura hurried to do so. Naruto left the hospital and looked up at Kyuubi. 'Boss Gamabunta, for old time's sake, help me, for this shall be our last meeting.' Naruto thought as he ran through the seals for the summoning technique._

_"Well brat, you look like you're in a pickle." The boss frog commented._

_"No time for joking, we need to seal the Kyuubi now!" Naruto commanded._

_"All right, all right." Naruto rode on Gamabunta's head and engaged the demon._

_"Hinata-chan, I'll be seeing you soon my love." Naruto whispered as he ran through the many seals. "Shishou fuuin no jutsu!" The Kyuubi attempted the sealing, but couldn't compete with Naruto._

_Sasuke saw the seal appear on Hinari's navel. And he sighed._

_As Naruto lay dying he spoke on final time. "Kyuubi, please, take care of my daughter in my stead." He let out his final breath and died._

xxxEnd Flashbackxxx

"Hinari, it is still unknown how your mother died, she was perfectly fine until that moment, if it hadn't been for that, you would still have a mother and father." Kyuubi said. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I need to return to my vessel before she dies." Kyuubi leapt at Hinari's mid section and melted into it. Hinari shivered involuntarily at the feeling. Afterward, Hinari fell into a nearby chair and buried her face in her hands.

"Mother, father, why?" She whispered. She began to cry until she felt a pair of arms wrap around her. She looked up to see Hikaru hugging her.

"I know it's hard, and a shock Hinari, but it'll be all right, now that it's out in the open you can go ahead and cry." She whispered to her. Hinari wiped her tears and did her best to smile.

"I know, but now that I know what happened, I can't really blame father doing it." Hinari said smiling.

'She wears the same mask her father always did.' Hanabi thought. 'She says that it doesn't bother her, but it does, very much so.'

"Hinari, to thank you, why don't you stay in the Hyuuga complex?" Hanabi suggested. Hinari gasped and looked up at her.

"I-I would like that very much, thank you Hanabi-sama." Hinari said. Akagane barked excitedly.

"Please, just call me Aunt Hanabi, God knows I'm sick of the formalities." Hanabi told her. Hinari's smiled became a genuine one.

"Okay!" She said standing up and lifting Akagane into her arms and spinning around in joy. 'It's really nice, you know. To have a family that cares.' She thought.

**So _that's_ what happened twelve years ago. Well, now you know, hope the few people who actually took the time to read this like it!**


	7. Chapter 7:Confession

Hinari

Chapter 7

Sakura Hanamoto

The start of the Chuunin Exam was fast approaching, only one day remained. Team seven spent that time preparing in any way that they could. Older ninja were useless, they all refused to tell what had happened when they took the exam. The team had no idea what to expect of the next day, and what would come of it.

"Damn! Why can't anyone just give us one stupid little hint?" Hinari cried as she tugged at her hair.

" 'Cause they think that they're doing is some huge favor by leaving us in the dark. I asked mom and dad and they just went pale as death and didn't answer." Takuro said while he sharpened a kunai.

"Or it might be that it was so traumatizing that they absolutely _refuse_ to think about it. Let alone talk about it." Tsubaki suggested. This response was rather thought-provoking.

'Kyuubi-san, do you know anything about it?' Hinari asked/

**"I do, but I won't say a thing about it. Don't want to ruin the surprise."** Kyuubi responded. Hinari sighed and gave up on the matter. Better not to dwell on it and scare herself silly.

'Do you think I should tell Tsubaki and Takuro about you?' Hinari inquired.

**"It's entirely up to you. I can't force you to do it, though it is highly recommended."** Kyuubi replied.

'I think I really should, I don't want to wait too long and have them loose my trust and have them hate me like the rest of the village.'

**"That's a wise choice Kit."** Kyuubi remarked. Hinari nodded and took a long calming breath. She then turned to Tsubaki and Takuro and got their attention.

"You guys, I have something very important to tell you." Hinari began nervously, her voice wavered slightly.

"Okay, so what is it?" Tsubaki asked making herself comfortable, she had a strong feeling that it was something big, something that wasn't told to people often.

"First off, how much do you know about Kyuubi?" Hinari asked them.

"Just that the demon lord was first sealed by the Yondaime, then later resealed by the Rokudaime Hokage into a rock." Takuro responded.

**"A rock. How original."** Kyuubi dead-panned in Hinari's thoughts.

"Well, that was a lie, a complete utter lie." Hinari told them, her eyes closing momentarily.

"What do you mean?" Tsubaki demanded.

"Hold on, let me finish. Kyuubi was not sealed into a rock either of those times. A rock doesn't have the ability to sustain that much chakra." Hinari informed them. Tsubaki nodded, it made sense to her. "The first time, Kyuubi was sealed into a newborn baby boy. That baby was my father." Hinari paused long enough to collect her thoughts.

"What about the second time?" Takuro questioned.

"I'm getting to that." Hinari snapped at him irritably. "The boy, father grew up hated and kicked around by the villagers. When he graduated from the ninja academy, he made it his life goal to become the Hokage so that the villagers would finally show him some respect." Hinari stopped and bit her lip. Tsubaki had been piecing everything together and had a feeling that what Hinari was going to tell them was coming. "My father was the Rokudaime Hokage, Uzumaki Naruto. And, the second times Kyuubi was sealed away, father sealed him into his own daughter, me. I am the vessel in which Kyuubi was sealed twelve years ago." She finished. Hinari stared at her feet awaiting their reactions. Takuro and Tsubaki took a moment to let the revelation sink in properly.

"So, Kyuubi was sealed inside you?" Takuro asked. Hinari nodded and closed her eyes, waiting. But her control on her emotions was beginning to slip.

"Please, don't hate me for this, like so many of the villagers do. I my two best friends, my first friends I've ever had hated me, I-I-I just wouldn't be able to stand it anymore." Hinari whispered. A fear tears fell onto her tightly clenched hands. Someone took hold of her hands and gave them a reassuring squeeze. It was Tsubaki. Takuro wrapped his arms around her shoulders and pulled her to his side.

"We could never hate you for something you had no control over. The villagers just have their head rammed too far up each other's asses for their own good. They can't see the sweet girl that you are." He said with a small smile. Hinari looked up at him and grinned and whipped away her tears.

"Thank you, thank you guys so much." She said.

"We'd be terrible friends if we judged you on something like that." Tsubaki said. Hinari nodded. Takuro hugged her tightly momentarily until he realized what he was doing. He released her as his face turned red and muttered an apology. "So, what do you guys say to some hot fresh ramen?"

"Sure!" Hinari agreed heartily. The three of them stood from their spot beneath a tree and headed towards Ichiraku.

XxXxXxX

Ayame smiled warmly to her favorite customer and her friends. "Welcome to Ichiraku Ramen, what can I get you?" She asked leaning against the counter. The group sat down and gave their orders. Ayame set to work making the ramen while they talked.

"So Hinari, how do you have a doujutsu?" Takuro asked.

"Mother was a Hyuuga, I inherited it from her." Hinari answered. "Not too sure why though. All Hyuuga's have white eyes." She continued.

"Well that's pretty cool; two out of three of us have a kekkei genkai." Takuro said. Tsubaki frowned at him.

"You guys are lucky, I don't have one." She said.

"But Tsubaki, you're the best tactician in our class! You've got more brains then the both of us combined." Hinari said. The made Tsubaki perk up.

"Well that is true." Tsubaki said smiling.

"See? Who needs a kekkei genkai when you can use everything around you to your advantage?" Takuro interjected. Tsubaki nodded.

"So, we're all in agreement, we each have our own personal strengths." Hinari said.

"Here you guys are. "Ayame served them their ramen and watched the three pre-teens eat. "Where's Akagane-kun?" She asked.

"He's at the vet's; he's been acting a little funny. I have to pick him up tonight." Hinari answered.

"I hope he's okay." Ayame said.

"So do I."

XxXxXxX

Hinari's apartment had been fully repaired and Konohamaru insisted on adding to the security. He'd placed a seal on the door that would only allow Hinari to enter. Any one else attempting to do so, along with all the windows would be placed into a genjutsu until Hinari saw fit to release them from it.

Hinari lay on her bed feeling happy and warm from her afternoon and evening spent with her two best friends, and her favorite villager Ayame. She was staring at the ceiling thinking over the events of the past week. So much had happened it was unbelievable. Hanabi and Konohamaru had handed over anything they had in their possession that had belonged to her mother and father. The majority of those items were sealed in scroll for her to summon when she wanted to take a look at it. Hinari reached beneath her bed and felt for the bunch of loose floorboards she'd pulled up. Pulling them up she retrieved a shoebox filled with scrolls. A few other boxes were sitting down there as well, there contents still unknown to her. Opening the box the picked up a scroll and unrolled it. It was directions and diagrams of a technique her father had known. At the bottom of the scroll there was a small bit of writing.

"Diagrams courtesy of Sai, I couldn't draw to save my life." It read. Hinari chuckled at this and rolled it back up.

**"I remember when he was learning that one. Took him a total of maybe a month or two to completely learn it and master it." **Kyuubi said. Hinari put the scroll back and picked up another. This one was the same as the last, directions on a technique. Finally Hinari pulled out one more, it was the letter her father had written to her in his final hours of life. Hinari read it once, twice, thrice before putting it down and falling to sleep.

XxXxXxX

The next day team seven made their way to the building for the Chuunin Exam. As they walked Hinari was completely lost in thought. She had memorized every word that had been on that letter. And every time she thought about it, she would wonder what life would have been like if her mother and father was still alive.

"Hello, earth to Hinari." Takuro broke her out of her stupor by waving his hand in front of her face.

"Oh, sorry, I must have spaced out."

"You looked like you were a million miles away." He added.

"Yeah, probably." Hinari muttered. "Anyway, what do you think the exam will be like?"

"Nightmare-ish." Tsubaki answered with a hollow laugh. Takuro and Hinari joined soon. Akagane grinned his foxy grin and they kept on walking towards the specified building.

As they approached, they stopped walking and sobered up. Hinari slung Akagane over her shoulder when they came to the double doors.

"This is it." Tsubaki said with a slight shrug of her shoulders. Takuro stuffed his hands in his pockets and Hinari licked her suddenly dry lips. Takuro reached for the door handles and pulled them open.

The team headed up the stairs and came across a large crowd gathered before a room.

'Wonder what's going on.' Hinari thought.

"Let us in already dammit!" A voice cried.

"Inoichirou, calm down." A second said.

"I know that voice." Tsubaki murmured. She shoved her way through the crowd to see her older brother. "What the hell is going on Shikatarou?" Tsubaki asked. Shikatarou was thirteen, having graduated the year before his sister had.

"These idiots won't let us in." Shikatarou's teammate Inoichirou answered. He had spiky black hair and eyes almost as blue as Hinari's.

"Just go home you little newbies. We've failed this exam four times already. You'll never be able to pass." A girl with honey-brown hair said.

"Tsubaki, come one, let's keep moving." Takuro said.

"What do you mean?" She asked. Takuro pointed to the sign above the door.

"It's just an illusion; we have to go up one more floor." He informed her. Hinari nodded in agreement. Tsubaki looked closely and she saw that he was right.

"Right, let's get going." Tsubaki turned away from her brother and walked away. Takuro and Hinari followed her. They were soon intercepted by a boy who looked to be a couple years older.

"What's you name?" He demanded of Takuro.

"I'm Uchiha Takuro, this is Uzumaki Hinari, Nara Tsubaki, and Hinari's partner Akagane." He answered. The boy's white eyes flicked towards Hinari momentarily. He said nothing but his eyes said it all. Hinari fixed him with a scowl as he looked at Takuro again.

"You're an interesting guy. To be expected from the genius of the Uchiha clan." He said. Takuro bristled.

"Being an Uchiha doesn't automatically make me a genius. And I believe you never gave us your name." Takuro retorted.

"Name's Hyuuga Hideo. These are my teammates Sora and Mine." He said gesturing to the boy and girl behind him.

"Such an air of superiority, is that an automatic Hyuuga trait, or do you honestly think you're better then we are?" Hinari asked wrinkling her nose in disgust. 'Sorry mother, Hikaru-sensei, Aunt Hanabi.' She thought. They were the only Hyuuga she knew who didn't have kunai shoved deep into their rectal area.

"You would do well to watch you tongue you Hyuuga half-breed." Hideo shot back. Hinari bared her teeth and began to slip into her taijutsu stance. She growled in warning at him. Takuro clapped his hand on her shoulder and looked her in the eyes. What he saw he would never forget. Her eyes had turned completely red, blood red like a demon's eyes.

"Hinari," he whispered into her ear. His voice acted as a calming effect on her and Hinari's eyes returned to their normal sky blue hue.

"C'mon, let's get out of here." Tsubaki lead them off to keep climbing the stairs.

XxXxXxX

"That bastard! I should rip his throat out for that!" Hinari declared as the walked.

"Calm down, we can both have that honor later." Takuro told her. Hinari sighed. Takuro had been slightly disturbed by the change Hinari had gone through earlier. To say the least he was scared by it. He wondered just how much of Kyuubi's power she could tap into. Not that he wanted to see that happen, the very thought made him shudder.

"I hope he dies a slow and very painful death." She muttered.

"Hey guys, we're here." Tsubaki said. They had stopped in front of the door. They looked at it warily. Hinari was reaching for the doorknob when a cloud of smoke exploded before them.

"Hi!" The three of them jumped at the sight of Hikaru. "Whoa there guys, calm down, I don't bite." She said throwing her hands up in surrender.

"We just weren't expecting you, that's all." Hinari said scratching the back oh her head in embarrassment.

"Anyway, hand me your entry forms and I'm glad you all chose to participate. If one of you decided not to participate none of you would be able to." Hikaru smiled as she took the papers from them. "I'll see you guys later, good luck!" Hikaru disappeared in another cloud of smoke.

All three of them took a deep breath and Hinari swung open the door.

XxXxXxX

Hikaru sighed. She'd seen the exchange between her team and Hideo and wasn't too happy about it. "Stupid brother, he will end up in a world of pain with Hinari if he isn't careful.' She thought. Not only that but she'd been very bothered when Hinari began to show a much more animalistic side. She knew it was partly due to Kyuubi, but just how much she wasn't sure of.


	8. Chapter 8:The First Exam!

Hinari

Chapter 8

Sakura Hanamoto

"Seems that Konoha is confident in this year's rookies." Hinari commented as she surveyed the competition. The two other teams from their class were also present.

"Looks like it, wonder which team will last the longest." Takuro remarked. "There's a lot of foreign shinobi as well, at least one team from each village on the continent." He added. From Hinari's shoulder Akagane began to growl.

"What is it Akagane?" Hinari asked. She followed his gaze and her eyes fell on Inuzuka Kouga and his nin-ken partner Kuromaru.

"Why is acting like that?" Tsubaki asked.

"Dogs and foxes are natural enemies, even if they are cousins, and Akagane feels threatened." Hinari responded.

"Threatened?"

"Something the vet told me yesterday about him." She answered; making sure the topic was dropped.

"Hey guys, here for the exam too?" They spun around to see team ten behind them. Kana stood there hands in her pockets, Tsukishiro perched on her head.

"No, we're here for the fun of it. Of course we're here for the exam!" Tsubaki said sarcastically. Kana chuckled and team eight joined them. All three rookie teams stood together. They hadn't seen much of each other since the day teams were formed.

"Have you guys heard anything about the exam?" Haruka asked.

"Nope, not a word." Hinari answered.

"Same here." Chorused the Inuzuka twins. Everyone else nodded.

"Hey, shortie, get out of the way, you're blocking the door." Shikatarou said ruffling his sister's hair. His team stood behind him.

"I'm not short you lazy-ass." She said slapping his and away.

"I resent that comment." He muttered. "And at least I haven't been whipped by some girl yet like Dad." He added. Inoichirou snickered and the third member of the team, Choujirou stuffed shoved a handful of chips into his mouth. Tsubaki was about to snap back at him, a harsh voice spoke from the front of the room.

"All right all of you wannabes sit down and spread out from the rest of your team!" The voice commanded. Everyone hastily complied. Hinari found herself seated between a ninja from Kirigakure and Kusagakure. She looked up to get a good look at the man who had spoken. The first thing she saw was his eyes. They were the Hyuuga white.

'No offense to my only family, but I'm tired of seeing those eyes everywhere.' She thought.

**"Too bad for you, the Hyuuga clan is a clan where almost everyone is a shinobi, deal with it." **Kyuubi told her.

"My name is Hyuuga Neji and I'll be the proctor for this exam." Neji announced. "You have thirty minutes to answer nine questions." He told them. "Once thirty minutes are up, I will give you the tenth question. You will be given five more minutes to answer it." He continued.

'I'm going to make the assumption that these questions are hard as hell, and an ordinary genin could never hope to answer them.' Tsubaki thought solemnly. Neji then went on to explain all the rules of taking the exam, as several other jounin began passing out papers and pencils.

'So, cheating costs points each time you're caught. Losing so many points fails a whole team. Sounds like we have to cheat. It'll be pretty fun.' Takuro pondered.

"You may begin!" Neji said finally. Hinari picked up her pencil and looked at the questions.

'Let's see, Iruka-sensei always said to not spend too much time on one question. If I don't know an answer, I skip it and move on and get back to it if I have time.' Hinari thought optimistically. She read through the first question and almost screamed in horror. 'Holy shit! That's impossible to answer!' She thought, her optimism dropping quickly. Looking at the other question she saw that they were just as difficult as the first one. 'Oh god, I'm never gonna get this!' Hinari yanked roughly on her hair. Two rows away, Takuro was running his fingers through his messy hair in annoyance.

"Dammit!" He cursed softly so no one would hear. "I haven't any other option; I have to cheat a little!' He thought. He took a very brief glance at his neighbors, but the paper was still blank. He looked away and sighed. Then it hit him. 'I was right! We do have to cheat, there's no genin alive in history that could have gotten these answers without copying off of someone else. That's the point of this, collect information without getting caught!' Takuro smirked. 'Then, I'll just find someone to copy off of.' Takuro closed his eyes and activated his Sharingan. He quickly spotted another test taker whose pencil was moving like made. Soon, Takuro's was moving in unison with that same person.

Hinari discreetly scanned the room for someone with answers. Increasing the amount of chakra to her eyes and the radius of her range of vision she spotted someone whose pencil never stopped. 'Bingo!' Adjusting her chakra flow, she zoomed in on the paper and read the answers. Acting quickly, she picked up her pencil and scribbled down the answers.

Tsubaki frowned. Even with a brain like hers, she was still having a hell of a time with the test. She glanced at the clock and frowned, she only had another ten minutes. 'This really sucks shit! This is impossible! I'm so screwed!' She thought with despair. "I know that I have to cheat, but I've no practical way of doing it!' Tsubaki sank deeper into her thoughts in order to figure out a way to collect the much needed information. 'Of all things I can do, I can't even properly acquire information. What a useless kunoichi I am. I can create tempests with a swing of my fan. I can control the movements of others…' That's when she got an idea. 'If I can control their movements, why can't they do the same to me?' Tsubaki smiled lightly at her genius. Thinking for a few more minutes she began forming one handed seals with her left hand. Her right hand gripping the pencil. 'Thank god Mom made me learn these.' Tsubaki formed the final seal and using her chakra to control it; her shadow snaked along the ground catching the same person Hinari had gotten her answers from. 'Hantai Kage Mane no Jutsu is a success.' She thought with a grin as her hand began to involuntarily move. Soon she had all nine answers and she released the shinobi. Team seven was pretty relaxed, waiting for the final few minutes to tick by.

By the time the thirty minutes were over, nearly half of the teams were eliminated.

"Okay you excuses for ninja, pencils down!" Neji ordered. Everyone that wasn't finished dropped their pencils in fright. "Time for the final question." He announced. Hinari leaned forward excitedly; her neighbors had long since been eliminated. "For this tenth question, I have some new rules." He began. There were several groans among the remaining genin.

'Figures.' Takuro thought, resting his elbows on the desk.

"First, if you cannot answer this question correctly you will fail and lose your chance to take this exam again." He told them ominously.

"Oh crap." Hinari muttered.

"So, if you think you can't answer, leave now with your team." At that seven people stood up along with there teams. Tsubaki cast a wary glance at Hinari. She knew that Hinari's grades had been less than stellar at the academy; she knew that there was a chance that she couldn't answer it.

'C'mon Hinari, don't take that risk.' She thought, hoping her friend would somehow hear here. But Hinari made no move to stand. Neji's eyes momentarily fell on Hinari.

'She has her father's eyes. I've seen them enough to know. The eyes of someone who refuses to give up. Someone who always stand, even when they're down. She's so much like them.' He thought. Neji turned his thoughts back to the present.

"Now then, for the final question," he began, then he broke into a smile.

XxXxXxX

"So, is Hyuuga Neji really overseeing the written portion of the exam?" Izumi asked. Hikaru and Takuro nodded, only a newbie jounin would ask such a question.

"Captain Neji is head of the ANBU Interrogation Squad. Only he could scare someone shitless with one look." Hikaru said.

"I don't know how you survived being a part of that Hikaru." Takuya muttered.

"You get used to it after a while." She responded with an unsettling smile.

"Seriously?" Izumi asked.

"Yeah, and, he's one of the strongest in the Hyuuga clan." Takuro told him. "If anyone can make those cocky genin squirm, it's him." Hikaru nodded in agreement.

XxXxXxX

"The final question, well, its," Neji could tell that they were getting annoyed with his stalling. His smile widened. "There is no tenth question, you all pass!" He finally announced.

"What?" Kanda stood up and slammed his fist on the desk.

"That's right, and sit down." Neji ordered.

"What do you mean?" Inoichirou asked from the back of the room. Several other genin were also shouting questions at him.

"A chuunin needs to be able to accept the risks of a high ranked mission. If a platoon leader refuses a mission because of a high mortality rate he can't be called a ninja." He explained. "This part of the exam was meant to test two things." He held up two fingers. "The first was your ability to collect information accurately and discreetly. If your information is inaccurate it could cost you the success of the mission, or worse, the lives of your teammates." He told them.

'Makes sense.' Kanda thought.

"There were quite a few chuunin stationed in here for you to steal answers from. You just had to find them." Neji said.

"Yeah, took me forever to find one." Inoichirou muttered, those that were able to hear him were in unanimous agreement.

"The second thing was to test your resolve. Those that just exited the room felt that they were better off. There's always next time. That's what they were thinking. A squad leader can't just say no to an important mission because he or she doesn't want to risk the lives of his or her team. They have to be willing to take the risk! It's what makes you a leader, not a follower." Neji said. As he finished the door burst open and a woman in a pink Chinese style shirt walked to the front of the room. Her eyes swept over the genin.

"Twenty teams. Neji, you've gotten soft."

XxXxXxX

"Who's doing the second exam?" Takuya asked. He'd only heard rumors.

"Tenten." Hikaru answered.

"Hyuuga Neji's fiancée?" Izumi questioned. Hikaru nodded. "God help those surviving genin. They'll be dropping like flies at her hands." He muttered.

XxXxXxX

"It isn't my fault they're so stubborn this year." Neji said defensively. The woman with brown hair laughed and turned her attention back to the genin.

"Listen up kiddies, the name's Tenten and I'm in charge of the second exam! And I can guarantee that by the time the second exam is over, only half of you will remain!" She announced pointing at them.

'Wonder what it is.' Hinari mused as she scratched Akagane behind the ears.

"Come to the Forest of Death tomorrow at noon! It's the training are with the warning signs on it." She said and walked out. The teams watched her go, stunned.

XxXxXxX

The remaining genin teams were gone and Neji was collecting the test papers. He came to Hinari's and looked at it in surprise. 'Hikaru owes me some answers on Hinari's skills.' He thought. 'Later though, I just hope she gets through the next exam all right.' He thought as he continued collecting the papers.

**A/N: Haintai Kage Mane no JutsuReverse Shadow Bind Technique**


	9. Chapter 9: Beware the Blue Eyed Demon!

Hinari

Chapter 9

Sakura Hanamoto

Shikatarou stared at the sky in boredom. Inoichirou and Choujirou had yet to arrive. No doubt Choujirou was glued to his mother's kitchen. He gave a sigh, and suddenly felt a sharp kick in the ribs. "Ow! That hurt!" He sat up to see his younger sister and her team laughing at him.

"Shika-'nii-chan, you looked stoned for a second there." Tsubaki commented.

"Don't call me that!" He said glowering up at her.

"I know you pain, as an older brother myself, I can sympathize." Takuro muttered. Hinari laughed at the two boys.

"You didn't sneak into dad's cigarettes did you?" Tsubaki inquired.

"Mom would kill me if I did that!" Shikatarou retorted. Tsubaki laughed at him.

"I know she would, but you never answered the question." She said. "So, did you?"

"N-no! Of course not!" He answered hotly.

"Your expression says differently." She muttered.

"Shut up you half-pint!" He yelled.

"That's a real nice way of treating your sister you know." A male voice spoke. Shikatarou stood up and glared at Inoichirou and Choujirou, both having just arrived. Choujirou chomped down on a bag of chips noisily and regarded Akagane with mild interest.

"Whatever." Shikatarou murmured and the three of them walked off.

Soon, all of the teams arrived and waited. All twenty teams chatted with each other occasionally glancing at the ominously large forest they'd soon be traipsing through. No one was looking forward to it.

"God the suspense is killing me!" Hinari declared.

"Save you energy for the forest." Takuro told her. Hinari heaved a sigh, but chose to remain silent.

"Okay you little swine! Quiet down!" Tenten stood before them, hands on her hips. Instantly everyone shut up and cowered under her gaze. "Good. Now here's the situation, each team will get one of these scrolls. She held up two different scrolls. Each one had a different kanji written on it. "You have five days to go from your assigned entry point to the outpost building in the very heart of this forest. And one your way, you must retrieve the other scroll that you don't have." She explained. "And don't even think of opening the scroll, if you do, your team is automatically disqualified.

"Nice, this is our specialty, you ready Kuromaru?" Kouga asked his nin-ken partner. Kuromaru barked. Haruka and Hiro nodded in agreement.

"How fun this'll be." Tsubaki muttered.

"Before I turn all of you loose in there, you all need to sign this." Tenten held up a piece of paper for all of them to see. "This waiver means that I am not responsible for anyone's death. It your own fault for dying, not mine." Everyone stared at her in disbelief.

"Whoa, scary." Hinari murmured so only the ones nearest her could hear. Akagane barked in agreement and whimpered into her ear. Hinari wasn't listening to the sounds Akagane was making, but for some reason it made sense.

"I would not cross her in any situation." Hinari gasped and picked him up from her shoulder. She gave him a scrutinizing look and frowned.

'That couldn't have been right. Akagane can't talk, at least, not in Japanese. Weird.' She thought bringing her attention back to Tenten. Several jounin and chuunin were walking among the crowd handing out the waivers and pens. Tenten gave them a few minutes to mull things over and sign the paper. 'Eh, not too many people would actually miss me for an extended period of time.' Hinari thought as she signed her name on the dotted line.

**"You really shouldn't say that Hinari, plenty of people would miss you."** Kyuubi told her.

'Really? Name three people.'

**"That's too easy, your team would miss you very much. Particularly, Takuro." **

'What makes you think so?'

**"Experience." **Came the answer, Hinari frowned and rejoined Takuro and Tsubaki.

"Everyone, line up over here!" Tenten began belting out instructions to everyone. All the teams formed a very long line in front of a tent. "You will turn in your waivers here, then receive you scroll, and assigned entry point in this tent." Luckily, team seven was near the front of the line, and received their instructions quickly.

"I'll hold onto it." Hinari said taking it from a jounin and stowing it away in one of her pouches. She knew that she was less likely to lose it easily. Eight years on the streets made her alert enough to know what her pocket was being picked. The team headed to their entry point and waited.

"Remember, this is a kill or be killed situation, never drop your guard." Takuro reminded the girls. They both nodded. "Let's make sure everything's in order and secure." He suggested.

"Good idea, we can't afford to be caught unprepared." Tsubaki said. Hinari checked to make sure bother her hip and thigh pouch were secured and everything was there. The other two did the same, and Tsubaki made sure her fan wouldn't slip from her sash while moving.

As they were finishing a bell sounded from a speaker attached to the fence.

"That the signal to start, let's go!" Team seven instantly charged into the forest.

XxXxXxX

It had been several hours since the exam first began and night had fallen over them. Takuro, Tsubaki, and Akagane were moving quickly, pausing every only once or twice to wait.

"Hinari should have caught up by now. With her speed she should be here." Takuro commented as he took a drink of water from his canteen. Hinari had stayed behind to set up a trap or two and had yet to regroup with the others.

"Yeah, Hinari was clocked as the fastest runner in thirty years, back at the academy. She should be here by now." Tsubaki added. They continued on, jumping from one tree to another, a much faster way to move.

"Stop!" The three ground to a halt upon hearing the voice. A kunai whizzed past Tsubaki's ear and cut an almost invisible trip wire. A very thick tree branch feel from above just in front of them.

"That was close." Tsubaki whispered, her heart pounding in her ears. Hinari landed next to them.

"Thanks Hinari, your eyes are useful in this situation." Takuro said. Hinari gave him a surprised look. Takuro's expression darkened and he jumped at her. Takuro tackled Hinari to the ground and pressed a kunai to her throat. "You're not Hinari." He growled.

"Of course I am. Get off of me!" Hinari said trying to shove him away.

"You're lying, Hinari's left handed, you kunai pouch is on the right, and, Hinari's barefoot today." He said. "Akagane, what do you think?" Takuro asked. Akagane growled, his fur standing on end. "Well that settles it, you took out our friend, we take out you. An eye for an eye, pretty fair don't you think?" Takuro was about to slit the imposter's throat when an explosive tag landed nearby.

"Takuro, look out!" Tsubaki cried as the tag went off. Takuro managed to jump out of the way just before and avoided the blast. "Takuro, are you all right? Where'd you go?" Tsubaki called reaching for her fan. She blew away all the ruble and dust that had been kicked up.

When it was all cleared away, it revealed two Hinaris locked in combat. Tsubaki watched as one kicked at the other knocking her back. Takuro jumped down from the tree he had taken shelter in and stood beside Tsubaki and Akagane.

"Which is the real Hinari? They're moving around to much for me to get a good look." Tsubaki asked. Takuro activated his Sharingan and pointed to the one that had kicked the other.

"There, that's the real Hinari." Finally, the real one grabbed the fake and threw her into a tree. Hinari pinned her there. The fake smirked and was surrounded in a cloud of smoke.

"I'm impressed; I didn't think you'd get out of that trap and catch up so quickly." The older, Kumo-nin said.

"Then you've sorely underestimated me. There's not a trap I can't escape from, nor a race I can't win." Hinari drew a kunai and was about to stab him when another kumo-nin came in from above. 'Damn!' Hinari leapt away to avoid the shinobi as Tsubaki and Takuro intercepted him and the third member of the team. Tsubaki kicked the kunoichi in the ribs sending her flying through the forest. She quickly pursued the Kumo-nin to keep her away.

Tsubaki pursued the kunoichi, occasionally sending a volley of kunai and shuriken at her. 'I have to be careful; I can't afford to use up all of my equipment already.' She thought. Tsubaki halted and drew her fan. Snapping it open to its widest she swung it back ready. "Daikamaitachi no jutsu!" A powerful gust of wind ripped through that area of the forest knocking the kunoichi from the tree branch she stood on. The kumo-nin screamed a shrill scream as she fell to the floor far below her.

XxXxXxX

Tenten smirked when she heard the scream. 'It's already begun.' She thought with grim satisfaction

XxXxXxX

Takuro dodged a barrage of shuriken and countered with his own. His opponent, the other male member of the Kumogakure team began forming seal. Takuro's already active Sharingan copied them and the two techniques collided. While he was down, Takuro reached into his pouch and pulled out a spool of wire. Takuro pinned the kumo-nin to a tree trunk with it. Using kunai to hold the wire taught he quickly formed a series of seals. 'Katon: Ryuuka no jutsu!' The flames raced down the wires and struck the kumo-nin dead on. Takuro grinned in satisfaction. He took a step forward and froze. 'This chakra! It's so powerful! Whose signature is it?' He thought. Takuro fell to his knees from the pressure. The person whose chakra was overflowing was some distance away, but he was able to recognize it somehow. 'Hinari! She's near there!' Takuro forced himself to his feet and took off on the direction of the powerful chakra.

XxXxXxX

Hinari grinned insanely at the smell of fear that emanated from the Kumo-nin. He crawled away from her and the red chakra that surrounded her body. "Please, don't hurt me." He begged. Hinari laughed.

"Horny sons of bitches like you don't deserve to live." She muttered as she advanced closer to him. The Kumo-nin didn't dare look into her blood red eyes for fear of what would happen if he did. He backed father away from her to create some distance. He blinked and she was gone from his sight.

'What?' He looked about and gasped when he felt two hands grip his left arm. Hinari grinned and pulled and wrenched hard. The shinobi screamed.

Takuro arrived and watched in horror as Hinari broke her opponents arm with a sickening crack and crunch. "Hinari! Stop it!" He screamed, but his cries fell on deaf ears. "Don't kill him!" He ran forward as Hinari released the broken arm and was reaching for the other one. Takuro pinned Hinari's arms down and didn't let go. "Stop, please. This isn't you. This isn't who you are." He begged softly, whispering into her ear. He saw that Hinari's shirt was soacked in blood, her blood. 'She must have gotten injured.' He thought as he tightened his grip on her, afraid she'd try to break free. Takuro looked at the Kumo-nin and glared. "Run." He commanded. "Run now, before I decide to kil you myself." He warned. The Kumo-nin cradled his broken arm and ran away as fast as he could.

"Takuro," Hinari whispered, her eyes were blue again, and she was crying. "What am I becoming?" She asked. "I'm a monster." She buried her face in her hands. Takuro held her closer.

"No, no you're not a monster." He told her.

"Yes, I am." Hinari collapsed in his arms.

Tsubaki sighed at the broken pieces of her fan. 'That technique was incredible. It crumbled my fan like it was paper.' Tsubaki nudged a large piece and rubbed her wrist. It had been bent in a way that it wasn't meant to be bent in. A rustling in the nearby brush put her on full alert. She reached for a kunai in her pouch and threw it. There was no sound to suggest that she'd hit anything. A moment later, Akagane came bounding out form the bushes holding her kunai in his mouth. "Akagane! Where's Hinari?" She asked.

"Here." Takuro landed on the ground, Hinari on his back. "Are you okay?" He asked Tsubaki. She nodded.

"Yeah, can't say the same about my fan though." She said with a frown. Takuro carefully placed Hinari on the ground and rested her head on his lap. "What happened to her?"

"I think Kyuubi took control of her, it must have really wiped her out." He responded. "And, she was nearly disemboweled." He replied carefully lifting up Hinari's shirt to show Tsubaki the rough bandages he'd wrapped the wound in. "I don't have mom's medical expertise, otherwise I'd be able to help her a little more." Takuro told her.

"Were either of you able to get a scroll?" Tsubaki asked him. Takuro shook his head.

"I wasn't, I don't know about Hinari, she might have." He replied. Takuro brushed some of Hinari's long bangs out of her face and wiped a smear of mud from her cheek.

"We need to keep moving Takuro." Tsubaki said.

"But, it isn't safe until Hinari regains consciousness."

"But we're sitting ducks if we stay here, out in the open. We have to keep going. I'm a tactical genius remember, I can get us out of any sticky situations." Tsubaki said standing up. Takuro sighed.

"Fine, we'll keep moving." Takuro said lifting Hinari into his arms. He carried her on his back, while Akagane rode on Tsubaki's shoulders. They ran on the forest floor, being mindful of traps.

They'd been running for at least an hour before they'd decided to stop and rest. Tsubaki knelt on the ground checking for traps while Takuro was off to the side waiting for her. Tsubaki scooped up a handful of dirt and it flowed from her hand between her finger. "This isn't right." She took up another handful and studied it. "Sand?" She stood up and scanned the area.

"What is it?" Takuro stepped forward, and the ground beneath them began to swirl about like a whirlpool "It's a trap!" He cried. He was already knee deep in sand, Tsubaki was up to her waist.

"Shit! This must be Yasha's work. Damn! We can't get out of this!"

"Well we're gonna have to!" Takuro retorted. He looked about for a way to escape. "Dammit!" He couldn't see a quick way out of the situation. 'Think dammit! If we don't get outta here, we're all probably gonna die!'


	10. Chapter 10: Second Exam is Aced!

Hinari

Chapter 10

Sakura Hanamoto

'Shit! This is too troublesome.' Tsubaki's eyes darted about looking for a way out of their current situation. She reached for her hip pouch and pulled out a spool of wire and her tessen. She grinned as an idea came to mind. Working quickly she tied the end of the wire to the fan and threw it as high and as hard as she could. The wire wound around a thick tree branch and sharpened claw-like tips dug into the tree, holding it into place.

"Whatever you're planning Tsubaki, hurry it up!" Takuro demanded. Akagane jumped from Tsubaki's shoulder and clawed his way up the tree. Tsubaki quickly scaled the length of wire and rested on the tree branch.

"Takuro, catch!" Tsubaki threw the spool end of the wire down to him as the sand reached his neck. He forced his arms up and grabbed the wire and began to climb. He was mindful to not let Hinari fall. Tsubaki grabbed Hinari by the collar of her jacket and pulled her up. Takuro followed and settled down.

"That was close." Tsubaki remarked as she wound up the spool again and yanked the tessen out of the tree and tucked it away into her sash by her hip. "Come one." Takuro nodded and picked up Hinari again.

XxXxXxX

In a place very far from Konoha, within a small cave, a man in his late thirties, wearing glasses and silver hair stood over a cadaver. "At last, you will breath again master." He muttered as he began a series of complicated seals. "Kuchiyose: Edo Tensei." The body sank beneath the ground and from that same space a wooden coffin appeared. The lid fell open and from within a man with pale skin and snake-like eyes stepped out an evil smile upon his face. He turned to the man and laughed.

"It is good to see you once again Kabuto." The man with the glasses shoved a seal into the resurrected man's body.

"It is good to see you two, Orochimaru-sama."

XxXxXxX

Hinari opened her eyes and moaned. "Hinari, you're awake!" Takuro stopped running and put her down, but kept his arm wrapped around her. "How are you feeling?'

"Like crap. Like I got impaled through the stomach." She muttered. Takuro tried to suppress a chuckle.

"That would be because you were nearly disemboweled!" He told her. It was then that she noticed the blood soaked onto her shirt, and on the back of Takuro's.

"Oh," she said quietly.

"Can you stand?" Takuro asked, slowly letting go of her. Hinari wobbled a bit, but retained her balance with Takuro's help.

"Thanks." She leaned heavily against the tree trunk and took a long drink from her canteen.

"Hinari, were you able to get a scroll from that guy?" Tsubaki asked. At this Hinari grinned wickedly and showed them a scroll the bore the kanji of the one that they needed.

"How-?" Takuro began.

"I've learned plenty of useful tricks living on the streets for eight years." She answered. "Picking pockets is one of my many talents." She told them.

"What else can you do?" Tsubaki asked, curiosity getting the best of her,

"That my friend is an absolute secret, but as you know, I hold the record of the fastest print and long distance time back at the academy. I used the streets to improve on that, no one can outrun me."

"You scare me sometimes." Takuro remarked. Hinari grinned and tucked the scrolls back into her pouch.

"Well, let's keep moving." Hinari said, pushing herself away from the tree. The three of them leapt away, Akagane right behind them.

XxXxXxX

"Are you done playing with our poor little cousin, Yasha?" Tamika asked her cousin.

"They're fun to play with." He responded as sand trickled back into yhe gourd on his back.

"Well, it seems that all of our lovely traps have been set off already, lets go see what we've snared." Kanda said adjusting the straps on his shoulders. The others nodded and took to the trees.

XxXxXxX

"Night has fallen already, maybe we should stop for the time being and continue at dawn." Takuro suggested.

"Good idea, Hinari needs to rest and let the wound close on its own." Tsubaki agreed.

"But we need to find a good place to hide." Hinari interjected. "Let me find one." Pumping more chakra to hereyes, she quickly located a hollow in a large tree, ideal for hiding. "Thirty yards to the west, a large hollow in a tree." She reported.

" 'Kay let's go." Takuro adjusted his grip on Hinari's legs. They quickly found the hollow and settled down in it. "I'll take first watch." He said, setting Hinaricarefully on the ground. "You two go ahead and take a rest."

"Wake me up when your watch is done with." Tsubaki said laying down and cushioning her head with her hands.

"Get some sleep Hinari, you need it more than the rest of us." Takura said. Hinari nodded and lay down to sleep.

XxXxXxX

Hinari awoke and stretched. She winced wieh her abdomen protested the movement. "Awake already?" Hinari started, and realized that Takuro sat at the entrance staring out.

"Couldn't sleep." She said, moving to sit next to him.

"How's your stomach?" Hinari lifted up her shirt and carefully uindid the bandages. The wound was already half healed.

"It's fine, It'll be good as new in a couple days." She said.

"That's good." Hinari moved to sit a little closer to him. She wrapped her arms around her knees and stared into the forest.

"Do you think of me as a mosnter?" She asked suddenly. Takuro turned to her in surprise.

"How can you ask me that kind of question? I mean, how can you think that way? Doing that is only proving the villagers right." Hinari sighed.

"I want a straight answer Takuro. The truth, tell me what you think of me."

"I don't think you're a monster at all. You're just a girl. Don't let anyone tell you differently. And if they do, they'll have to answer to me." He said smiling. Hinari managed a weak smile in return, but looked away quickly.

"It's just, what happened earlier today-,"

"That wasn't your fault, it was his entirely. And I won't ask what he did, you have a right to keep it to yourself if you want."

"But still, I nearly killed him. I could have killed him with my own bare hands, had you not stopped me." Hinari stared at her hands and clenched them into fists. "I lost control, I let him take over. If you hadn't been there, I don't know what would have happened." Hinari's voice faded and she buried her face in her hands. Takuro slowly, a little awkwardly wrapped an arm around her, but said nothing else. Nothing he could say could make her feel better. But he had the need to speak to her.

"We all lose our tempers sometimes, its okay Hinari." He whispered.

**"I'm sorry Hinari, but if you want to remain in control, your emotions must remain in check." **Kyuubi told her.

'I know, but I, I just want to protect my friends.' Hinari responded.

**"I know you do. Your father was the same way."** He said.

"I'll try harder next time to remain in control. "She said aloud.

"I'm sure you will Hinari, now go back to sleep." Takuro removed his arm from her shoulders.

"I'll try." Hinari moved back into the hollow and lay down again to sleep a little more. Akagane curled up next to her and slowly fell asleep. 'I felt so warm when his arm was around me.' She thought as she finally fell asleep.

XxXxXxX

"We made it!" Hinari cried stretching out her arms wide. "Exam number two has been aced!" They stood in an empty room of the tower.

"Yeah, but what do we do now?" Takuro asked. Just as he asked this, there was a loud explosion and a cloud of smoke billowed in front of them.

"Hi guys!" It was Hikaru. "Good you made it. Now, let's see those scrolls." Hinari reached into her pouch and handed then to her. Hikaru looked them over and gave a nod of approval. "Good, congrats to all of you for getting this far. And I'll see you guys in three days. Until then rest up and enjoy yourselves for a bit." With that, their teacher was gone.

"Well that was quick." Hinari remarked. Akagane scrambled down from her shoulder and tratted off towards a door they could barely see.

"Follow me." He said to them. Hinari followed him and beckoned the other two to follow. They walked down a hallway that was lined with doors.

"What's with all the doors?" Takuro wondered aloud.

"They're for the teams." Tsubaki answered as they came to the end of the hallway. Three doors were labeled; KONOHA TEAM NUMBER 7, and underneath that, was a name.

"Cool, our own rooms!" Hinari opened the door with her name on it.

"But how do they know how many teams will make it?"Takuro asked.

"They probably don't. They could have put them together as the teams arrive." Tsubaki responded rationally.

"Good point." Takuro muttered as he walked inside his room. "See you guys later." He closed the door.

XxXxXxX

Three days later, the last team arrives and everyone gathered in a large hall. All the jouni teachers were present, along with Neji and Tenten-who looked rather disappointed at failing to keep her promise-and finally the Hokage. But there was another person present. He wore the standrad green vest issued to all chuunin and jounin. Underneath that, he was wearing green spandex. And of course, he just had to wear bright orange leg warmers to match.

Apart from all the jounin and the Hokage, all eleven teams that survived the forest stood in formation. Team leader in front, the other two behind him, or her. Hinari noted that the team from Kumo had made it, by some miracle. Five of the eleven teams were from Konoha. The rookies, Shikatarou's team, and much to her annoyance, Hideo's team as well.

"Congratulations to all of you." Konohamaru said to all of them. "As is tradition, we wil first have preliminary matches to determine who will mave onto the third and final test." He said. "Lee here will fill you in on the details." The man in the green spandex stepped forward. All right! There are no rules! But please refrain from killing each other." He said. Hinari blinked, if anything he sounded rather excited over the whole thing. "It'll be one-on-one battles. I will jump in once a clear winner had been decided. Your opponent will be chosen at random." He paused for a moment.

'I wouldn't mind being paired with that Kumo-nin, then I can break his other arm.' Hinari thought grimly. She blinked and shook her head. 'Those thoughts sounded almost, feral!'

"I'll say this now, if you feel that you cannot fight leave now." Lee waited a few moments.

"I'm done." Hinari saw Hideo's teammate Sora had his hand raised. "We were last to arrive, I wouldn't last five seconds." His entire left arm was bandaged from wrist to shoulder. Sora stepped out of formation between Hideo and Mine and walked away.

"Anyone else?" No on moved. Now, finally, LET THE FLAMES OF YOUTH BURN BRIGHTLY WITHIN YOU!" He announced. Everyone stared at him.. Neji and Tenten didn't look too bothered by it through. Neji cleared his throat and Lee decided to move on. "This first pair will be chosen at this moemnt." A panel on the wall behind the jounin slid to the side and a screen was revealed. Names falshed across it for a moment before it stopped. The screen read: UCHIHA TAKURO VS. HIKAZAKI DAISUKE.

"Sweet, first up." Takuro grinned and threw a glance at Daisuke.

"Everyone will head up tp the balconies above as of now." Lee said. Everyone headed up to the balconies as Takuro and Daisuke prepared to face each other.

'Damn this sucks.' Daisuke thought as he waited for his inevitable defeat.


	11. Chapter 11: Preliminary Round Prt 1

Hinari

Chapter 11

Sakura Hanamoto

Daisuke gulped nervously. 'Why me? Why him?' He thought. Lee glanced between the two. It was obvious that Daisuke was scared.

"Round one of the preliminaries, Uchiha Takuro versus Hikazaki Daisuke. Begin!" Lee jumped away as Takuro settled into a lose taijutsu stance.

'I'm not too sure about what Daisuke's skills are, but I remember that he excelled in genjutsu back at the academy.' Takuro thought. Daisuke began to run through many seals. Takuro smirked and activated his Sharingan. 'Too slow.' Takuro also ran through some seals. 'Katon: Ryuuka no Jutsu!' The flames raced at Daisuke, and just as they were about to strike, he finished forming seals and disappeared. 'Just as I thought, a genjutsu.' Takuro spun and delivered a high kick. Daisuke was launched into the air and came crashing down as Takuro delivered a sequence of powerful blows.

"No way," Daisuke muttered as he rolled across the floor. "How did he see through that genjutsu? It's one of my best." He continued as he tried to stand, but failed.

"Winner of the first match, Uchiha Takuro." Lee announced. Takuro smirked and walked up the steps to join his team. Hinari and Tsubaki each jumped on him and gave him a hug, while Hikaru settled for ruffling his hair.

"It was pretty easy." Takuro said.

"Well, it was still a pretty good show." Hikaru told him.

"Look the next match just got announced." Hinari pointed to the screen as it flashed two new names: MINE VS. NOBUO. Hideo's teammate and a member of the Kusagakure team headed downstairs as Daisuke was being carted off by a pair of medics.

"That guy from Kusa doesn't look like much." Tsubaki remarked.

"But neither does she." Hinari put in, glancing at Mine. The girl looked far worse and ready to drop. Lee cleared his throat and Hinari stopped talking.

"Second match, Mine versus Nobuo, begin!" Lee moved out of the way for the two of them. Mine moved rather sluggishly and drew several shuriken and launched them as hard as she could. Nobuo easily dodged and countered. Mine went down, coughing up blood.

"That was fast." Takuro murmured as two medics came and carried her away.

"She was dead on her feet to start with. She wouldn't have lasted very long anyway." Hinari said. "Kinda stupid to try when you know you can't keep going." Tsubaki nodded.

"Her other teammate had the right idea in leaving now."

"Quiet down you three, the next match is about to start." Hikaru gave her students a light whack on the head.

Down below a shinobi from Kiri and Oto stood facing each other. Lee glanced at the too and stepped away. "Begin!" The Oto-nin was first to move. Reaching into his reaching into his pouch he drew a pair of cylindrical objects. He slammed them into the ground and an ear-splitting sound emitted from it. All the spectators clapped their hands over their ears and ground their teeth in pain. Hinari fell to her knees in pain. Tears came to her eyes from it.

"This was way too easy." The Oto-nin smirked and charged at his opponent, a pair of kunai in his hands. He came in fast and slashed at the Kiri-nin. The kunai connected and passed through the Kiri-nin. "What the hell?" The Oto-nin watched as the Kiri-nin became a puddle of water.

"Suiton: Daibakufu no Jutsu!" The Oto-nin was crushed under the weight of the water in an instant. The Kiri-nin stood off to the side, hands on his hips.

"Winner, Kazumi!" Lee announced, the Kiri-nin walked back up to the viewing platform to rejoin his team while the Oto-nin was taken away.

Hinari pulled herself to her feet and rubbed her temples. "Damn, all that noise was giving me a headache. How are you doing Akagane?" She asked. Akagane whimpered.

"I hate Oto-nin." Hinari snickered.

"Hopefully the other two don't make so much noise." They stopped talking long enough to watch the screen. OMORIYAMA HARUKA VS. TAMIKA.

"All right I get to see my cousin in action." Tsubaki leaned forward in anticipation. Haruka and Tamika headed down the stairs and faced each other. Haruka reached behind her back and drew a katana from its sheath.

"Begin!" Lee leapt out of the way as Haruka pointed the katana towards Tamika. Haruka swung at Tamika, but the blade was sidestepped. Tamika made a slashing motion with both her hands and smiled. Haruka tried to slash at her again but found her movements suspended.

"What the hell?" Tamika twitched her left ring and index fingers and Haruka's arms began to move on their own. She soon found the end of her own katana pressed to her throat. "What the hell is this?"

"Do you really think I'd tell you?" Tamika retorted. She twitched her fingers and the katana edged closer to Haruka's throat. It was plain to see that Haruka was using all her strength to keep the sword from her neck. "This is boring; I might as well end this." Tamika raised her hands and twitched them in a series of movements. Haruka was about to plunge the blade into her throat when she managed to change its course at the last second. The katana sank painfully into her shoulder; Haruka screamed in pain and sank to her knees.

"I-I withdraw." She gasped as she yanked the sword out. Blood poured onto the floor and she was breathing heavily. Tamika smirked and lowered her hands. Haruka was lead away to have her shoulder bandaged up. Tamika rejoined her brother and cousin to watch the rest of the matches.

"What was that?" Hinari asked.

"Uncle Kankurou specializes in puppet ninjutsu. Obviously, he passed it on to his kids, but, I don't know what Tamika was doing." Off to the side Kouga and Hiro were mildly surprised. Haruka was more than proficient when it came to wielding her katana. Kuromaru barked solemnly.

"Don't worry, she'll be fine Kuromaru." Kouga gave his partner a pat on the head. On the other side of the room, Tamika had a smug smile on her face.

"I'm kind of impressed, she actually tried to resist. But it was a bit fun all the same. Especially since my Ningen wa Ayatsuri is superior to your techniques." She said smiling towards her brother.

"At least the puppets I use don't resist." Kanda grumbled.

"Quiet down you two, the next match is already starting." Yasha said. Down below another Oto-nin and the Kumo-nin with the broken arm were about to start their match.

"You sure you wanna go through with this?" The Oto-nin asked.

"I'm no coward." Was the Kumo-nin's response.

"No, you're just suicidal. Fighting with one arm." The Kumo-nin smirked and crouched down low. The Oto-nin pushed up the sleeves of his jacket and charged. The Oto-nin raised his fist to punch the Kumo-nin, but he brought his good arm up to defend. The Oto-nin made contact and the Kumo-nin screamed in agony.

"What the hell, my arm!" He retreated a few steps staring at his now useless arm.

"This match is over! You are unable to continue." Lee said stepping forward a bit.

"Why stop us now?" The Oto-nin rushed again, but Lee was there in a heartbeat. He grabbed the Oto-nin by the arm and threw him on his back with ease.

"A clear winner has been decided. Stand down." Lee ordered. The Oto-nin stared in wonder. He hadn't even seen Lee move! He stood and walked away, letting his sleeves fall over his arms. Lee gave the Kumo-nin a quick examination before handing him over to the medics.

"I was hoping to go up against that Kumo-nin. Oh well." Hinari murmured as she watched the screen flash with names. It came to a stop: NARA TSUBAKI VS. INOICHIROU.

"Damn, I'm fighting a girl." Inoichirou grumbled as he made his way down to the arena. Shikatarou couldn't help but snicker.

"Have fun against my sister!" He said. Inoichirou saw that Tsubaki was smiling.

'This shouldn't be too difficult.' Tsubaki thought gleefully. She looked up at him and smiled sweetly. Inoichirou was twirling a pain brush in his hand.

"Begin!" Inoichirou reached into his pouch and pulled out a scroll and a small ink pot. He moved quickly and fluidly. Tsubaki retreated and watched carefully.

'What's his plan?' She thought. Tsubaki reached into her pouch and pulled out her hand held tessen and snapped it open. 'I'd better be ready.' Inoichirou swiped the paint brush over the scroll. When he was finished he looked up at her and grinned and formed a seal. Tsubaki narrowed her eyes and watched carefully

"Choujuu Giga!" From the scroll, a pair of enormous wolves burst forth and lunged at her. Tsubaki instinctively swung the fan and one wolf fell apart, splattering ink over her body. She spun and kicked the second wolf destroying it as well.

"Damn, what a messy technique." She muttered. Tsubaki looked back at Inoichirou. He was smirking.

"This was too easy, and here I thought you'd be something of a challenge." He said, his pale blue eyes glinting. Tsubaki shifted her weight, ready to charge at him. As she tried to do so, she found her foot glued to the ground.

"What the hell?" She looked down to see that the ink also served as an adhesive. She was a sitting duck now. Glancing at Inoichirou, her eyes widened in horror, he was going through seals. She had to stop him, or at least distract him long enough to stop the technique. Thinking quickly, Tsubaki threw her tessen at him as hard as she could. Inoichirou's eyes widened in surprise just as he was forming the final seal, a triangular shaped one like a scope to aim at his opponent. The fan passed halfway between his hands when he managed to stop the fan from striking his face.

"Kage Kubi Shibari no Jutsu!" Inoichirou looked up in time to see Tsubaki's shadow racing at him. It ran up his body and the tendrils of shadow formed a pair of hands and wrapped around his neck. Tsubaki lessened the amount of chakra and the shadowy hands only strangled him into unconsciousness. Tsubaki straightened and set to work freeing herself of the ink. With a powerful wrench she pulled on foot free and put it down on an area of the floor that wasn't covered in it. She pulled her other foot free and picked her fan up from where Inoichirou had dropped it. She put it away and headed back up to the observation level.

"Nice one Tsubaki." Takuro and Hinari each gave her a pat on the shoulder.

"That was a pretty cool technique there." Hinari said.

"Thanks, Dad taught to us just before the exam started." Tsubaki told them. Inoichirou was being carried away by a woman with long blonde hair.

"Jeez Inoichirou, at least try to lose with a little dignity." The woman told him. She picked up the paint brush, ink pot, and scrolls as she helped another medic carry him away.

"I don't think he can hear you Ino-san." The medic pointed out. The woman sighed.

"Oh well, Sai can berate him later I suppose." She muttered. Two new combatants had come down. The first from Kusagakure and Iwagakure. The bout didn't last very long; a single earth technique from the Iwa-nin had the Kusa-nin seeing stars.

"What a boring match." Hinari whined. She was getting anxious now, they were halfway through all the genin and her name still hadn't been called yet. "Come on, I'd like to get this over with already." She muttered. The screen flashed. YASHA VS. UMIKO. Hinari sighed, still not her turn. Yasha glanced at the girl from Kirigakure. She didn't look like much to him. Yasha walked down the steps slowly, taking his time. The girl looked like a nervous wreck. Lee moved aside. If Yasha was anything like his father had been, he thought to keep a little distance. Yasha didn't even wait for Lee to tell them to begin. From the gourd on his back spewed a thick stream of sand. Umiko retreated a step.

"You'd best forfeit now if you know what's best for you little girl." Yasha said as the sand shot towards her. When Umiko said nothing, she was surrounded in sand on all sides. It came in on her and cocooned her in it. Only her hand and feet protruded from it. Yasha raised his hand. Lee was about to speak to stop him, he knew all too well what Yasha was about to do. But the clenching of Yasha's fist didn't come. Instead the sand fell from Umiko's body revealing that it was covered in explosive tags. "You might want to get out of the way." Yasha warned Lee. Lee moved farther away. Yasha looked at Umiko. "You really should have forfeited." He raised his hands to form the ram seal. A moment later the room was lit up and Umiko was scattered all over the room.

Everyone stared in fear. Yasha so far was the only that had actually killed his opponent. It was frightening. Lee was in shock, but at least the girl had had a quick death. "Um, the winner is Yasha." He said softly, he couldn't raise his voice.

"He's, scary." Hinari said. "I'm glad that that wasn't me." She whispered.

"Same here." Takuro murmured.

"I feel sorry for whoever has to face him in the finals." Tsubaki uttered. Everyone that heard her nodded in agreement. After the initial shock had worn off, the preliminaries were halted for a short intermission, they were half way though.


	12. Chapter 12: Preliminary Round Prt 2

Hinari

Chapter 12

Sakura Hanamoto

Tsubaki spent the ten minute break in the bathroom trying to wash off the ink from her clothing and skin.

"Face it Tsubaki, it won't come off with just water." Hinari told her.

"I'll kill him for ruining my clothes." Tsubaki muttered as she continued to scrub at her left sleeve. After a moment she finally gave up. "Okay fine, I'll just have Mom wash it when we get out of here." The two went back up to the observation platforms; most of the genin were taking bathroom breaks. The jounin were all gathered together talking. Takuro was sitting down with his back against the wall.

"Hinari's the only one of us left." He said when they returned. He looked up at her.

"I know," She said.

"Don't lose." He told her.

"I won't, I refuse to lose." Hinari said confidently.

"You can bark, but can you bite?" Hinari looked up at see Hyuuga Hideo leaning against the railing.

"I'll show you bite!" Hinari was about to pounce on him but Takuro and Tsubaki grabbed her by the arms and held her back.

"Save it for an official match Hinari." Takuro hissed into her ear.

"What's going on here?" Neji and Hikaru had joined them during the short exchange.

"Hideo's trying to intimidate Hinari." Tsubaki said. Hikaru looked at her younger brother.

"You can't hide behind my sister forever half-breed." Hideo began to walk away. Hinari snarled in response.

"I don't hide behind anyone!"

"Keep telling yourself that, you half-breed monster." Hinari's let a feral growl escape from her throat.

"I'll show you a monster." Hinari flexed her fingers and Tsubaki could see that the nails were lengthening. She looked at Hinari's eyes and they had turned blood red.

"Hinari, don't." Tsubaki calmed her quickly. Finally, Hinari calmed down and her eyes were blue again.

"Are you okay Hinari?" Hikaru asked her.

"I'm fine, hard to believe he's your younger brother." Hinari responded.

"Yeah, I don't know where he went wrong, myself." Hikaru muttered. All the genin had returned and the break was over. Neji returned to the Hokage's side. Hinari now hoped that she would be put up against Hideo. She really wanted to break a couple of his bones. The screen began to flash with the remaining sixteen names. The two came up were neither Hinari's nor Hideo's. Instead it read: RAIDEN VS. ABURAME HIRO. Hiro pushed his sunglasses up and headed down and waited for Raiden to come down. The boy from Iwa eventually came down, but he was just stalling. Lee had recovered from his shock of watching Yasha's match and was good to go.

"Begin!" Lee moved out of the way. Raiden was first to strike, launching a barrage of shuriken at Hiro. The shuriken sank into Hiro's skin for a moment then fell away. And then, possible the most disgusting thing Raiden had ever seen occurred. Hiro began to melt into tiny little bugs. Momentarily distracted, he failed to see the fist coming at him. He was thrown to the side and skidded across the floor. He stood up and wiped dirt from his cheek.

"What the hell are you?" He asked Hiro. Hiro did not reply, he simply raised his arms and from beneath the sleeves of his jacket emerged hundred of tiny insects.

"The Kikaichuu. They feed off chakra." Hiro explained as the insects swarmed Raiden. Raiden tried to brush them off, but there were too many of them. Raiden realized that any use of chakra would only mean trouble, so he'd have to settle for taijutsu and his weapons. Drawing several kunai, he threw them as hard as he could. Hiro formed a few seals. "Mushi Kabe no Jutsu." A wall of the Kikaichuu surounded him, protecting him from the kunai. Hiro picked up on the of fallen kunai and charged at Raiden. He'd been blinded by the bugs and couldn't see Hiro coming. Hiro drove the blade into Raiden's abdomen and all the Kikaichuu retreated back into Hiro.

"The winner is Aburame Hiro." Lee announced.

"Creepy. Who'd want those things crawling around in them?" Tsubaki asked with a shudder.

"Yeah." Takuro agreed with her. Hinari was preoccupied with watching the screen. She hoped that she was up next. She wasn't. It was Kana's turn against the final member of the Oto team, Yurumi. The girl from Oto grinned as she made her way down the stairs.

'Ha! What a laugh, I'm up against a dog girl! With my voice, this is in the bag.' She thought. Kana put Tsukishiro on the ground next to her and knelt beside her partner.

"You ready Tsukishiro?" Tsukishiro barked in reply.

"Let's finish this quick, aye?" Kana stood and smirked. She crouched down low. "Shikakyu no Jutsu!" She was down on all fours, Kana's muscles tensed for a moment and she lunged. Kana rammed into Yurumi, knocking the girl through the air.

'Shit! The dog girl's fast!' Yurumi thought as she struggled to get her feet underneath her. Yurumi manged to land on her feet, but sank to her knees. 'That blow was harder than I thought.' Yurumi stood up again. "You're good, I'll admit that, but even you can't stand up to me." Yurumi said. Kana winced, the girls' voice was annoyingly high.

"Damn, tougher than you look." Kana reached into her pouch and drew a small sperical object. "Tsukishiro, catch!" Kana threw the object at Tsukishiro, who caught and swallowed it. Tsukishiro's fure stood on end and went from the dull grey color to jet black. The faint marking of a crescent moon stood out more prominently on her forehead.

"What the hell did you feed your dog?" Yurumi asked.

"Soldier pill." Kana replied as she popped one herself. Kana felt refreshed and recharged. "Okay Tsukishiro, let's show her what the Inuzuka clan is known for." Kana crouched again and Tsukishiro stood by her side. Kana clapped her hands together to form a seal. "Juujin Bunshin on Jutsu!" Tsukishiro transformed into an exact replica of Kana. "Let's go!" Both Kana and Tsukishiro charged, with the soldier pills running through their systems, they were even faster. They hit Yurumi hard and fast. Yurumi managed to land on her feet again.

"Looks like I'm gonna have to use it." Yurumi formed the rabbit seal and smirked. 'Uta no Koe no Jutsu!' Yurumi inhaled deeply, opened her mouth, and from came the highest shriek any of them had heard. Kana and Tsukishiro were immobilized by the painful sound. Kana clapped her hands over her ears to save them from the pain.

'She's like a freaking harpy!' Kana thought. Yurumi paused long enough to regain her breath. Kana took this opportunity to try and strike. Yurumi retaliated with a powerful punch. Kana was still slightly disoriented from the attack on her eardrums. Kana swayed for a moment, she saw that the soldier pill had already lost its effect on Tsukishiro. Yurumi opened her mouth again and shrieked. Kana sank to her knees in pain. Yurumi stopped again, but Kana could not even stand anymore.

"The winner is Yurumi!" Lee announced to everyone. Takuro helped Hinari to her feet. Farther down the platform, Hiro was doing the same with Kouga.

"You okay Hinari?" He asked.

"I'll be fine, don't worry about me." She said. Hinari rubbed her temples. Why were Oto-nin so damn loud? Hinari comforted Akagane, while she watched the screen flash names. AMAYA VS. NARA SHIKATAROU. Hinari sighed. After that assualt on her ears, she was glad she wasn't next.

"Aw man, I'm fighting a girl? The men are cursed!" He cried as he headed down the steps. "I hope I don't end up like Dad." He muttered. He stood facing Amaya from Kumo. Shikatarou couldn't determine anything at the moment from just looking at her.

"Well, begin!" Lee got out of their way. No one moved.

"What's the matter, afraid to lose to a girl?" Amaya asked.

"It's not my style to fight women, but since I have no choice, count me in." Shikatarou leapt over Amaya's headed and attempted to punch her from behind. Amaya ducked under his arm. She grabbed it and threw him over her shoulder. Shikatarou slid on his back a few feet. 'She's a taijutsu type.' He concluded. Shikatarou stood up and drew several shuriken. He launched them and watched she dodged everyone of them. 'Not only that, she's fast.' This was only affirmed when she rushed at him, cocking her arm back to punch him. Shikatarou dodged at the last second. He leapt away from her to create a little distance. "So far, I'm quite impressed by your taijutsu skills." He said. 'This'll be a risk, but I don't have many options, it takes all my concentration just to dodge. I have to go blow for blow with her.' Shikatarou smirked. If his plan succeeded, he would win, but if he failed, he risked a beating. Shikatarou cracked his knucles formed a seal.

"He's going to use it now?" Tsubaki muttered questioningly. "He doesn't have that kind of stamina."

"Here I come, I hope you're ready." Shikatarou said as he charged at Amaya. He swung a fist at Amaya, she dodged. Amaya moved away for moment to regain her balance. She tried to rush him but found that her legs wouldn't respond.

"What?" She looked down and saw that their shadows were linked.

"Kage Mane no Jutsu is a success." Shikatarou muttered. He checked their surroundings. 'Perfect.' His plan had worked exactly how he'd wanted it to. Drawing a pair of kunai, he charged. Amaya did the same, their movements in perfect synch. Shikatarou brought the kunai forward to stab her. Amaya close her eyes as their kunai came closer and closer. At the last second, Shikatarou released her and swung his leg, kicking her into the wall behind her, effectively knocking her out.

"Nara Shikatarou, winner!" Tsubaki cheered for her brother's success. Even she couldn't have pulled that off better.

"All right! Don't let the Nara curse get you down!" Tsubaki cried out to him. Shikatarou looked up at his sister.

"Whatever." He muttered. Shikatarou massaged his shoulder and went back up to join Choujirou. Hinari had been impressed with his skill with the Kage Mane. Even Tsubaki wasn't a match for it. Hinari turned her attention back to the screen, once again her name wasn't on it. EMI VS. INUZUKA KOUGA.

"All right, our turn Kuromaru!" Kouga hopped over the railing onto the ground in excitement. Emi came down not long afterward. Kouga dropped to all fours and he charged after using the Shikyaku. He tackled Emi, but she was on her feet in a second drawing a short sword from a sheath tied to her belt at her lower back. Emi slashed at Kouga, who doged and came in again for another tackle. Kuromaru joined Kouga and they got a step farther than their sisters, actually able to attack in Juujin Binshin form. "Gatsuuga!" A twin pair of drills struck Emi at both sides knocking her around like a rag doll. She hit the ground hard, landing on her head. She was unconscious and had a cuncussion from the fall. Kouga and Kuromaru retreated to watch the last four matches.

"Please be next." Hinari whispered.

"Hey, Kouga isn't half bad. He's a pretty good power house." Takuro remarked. Tsubaki nodded.

"Yeah, but imagine the kind of destruction he and Kana could do together. It'd be frightening." She said.

"Oh!" Hinari gasped and grinned. "Finally!" She vaulted over the railing and Akagane followed after her. Takuro and Tsubaki looked up at the screen. HYUUGA HIDEO VS. UZUMAKI HINARI.


	13. Chapter 13: Preliminary Round Prt 3

Hinari

Chapter 13

Sakura Hanamoto

HYUUGA HIDEO VS. UZUMAKI HINARI

Hinari waited impatiently for Hideo to come down. "Get your ass down here already." She bellowed. Hideo continued to walk calmly.

"Are you in a hurry to lose?" He asked.

"Nope. I'm in a hurry to beat that pompous ass of yours to the ground." Hinari snapped. Hideo was now facing her, a confident expression on his face. "You won't be smiling soon enough." She said.

"We'll see. After all, it is the full-blooded Hyuuga that is superior. A half-breed couldn't possibly comprehend it." Hinari said nothing; she wasn't going to lower herself to his level. "See, you're so perplexed by it that you can't say a word." Hinari smiled. "What are you smiling about?" He demanded.

"Oh nothing, just thinking about the look on your face when I mop the floor with it." Hinari told him, she was radiating nothing but confidence in her abilities. "Akagane, do me a favor and stay out of this fight, will ya?" Akagane looked up at her but complied with her request. He ran back up the steps to the observation platform and sat on Takuro's shoulder to watch the match.

"Sure, we'll see how you last against me, you dead-last half-breed." Hideo charged, forming the seals to activate the Byakugan.

"Is that all you can come up with?" Hinari blinked and her Byakugan was fully activated. Hideo faltered.

"How can you-?"

"Looks like I'm superior in one aspect. I don't need the seals to trigger the Byakugan." Hinari told him. Hinari knew that all the Byakugan was good for was reading his movements. She had no use of where the tenketsu were on his body. Hideo charged again, his palms glowing faintly with chakra. Hinari dodged his right hand that was aimed at her abdomen and ducked under the one going for her forehead. She kicked him in the stomach, her body twisting and contorting in unnatural ways to stay out of range of his hands.

"Whoa, flexible." Tsubaki muttered.

"Hinari had to be flexible; she had to be able to cram into tight spaces to hide from drunken villagers." Hikaru told them. "Imagine what she could do if she could use Jyuuken." The thought was mind-boggling.

Hinari leapt and aimed a kick at him. Hideo caught her ankle so she tried to punch, but he grabbed her fist. With both of his hands preoccupied, Hinari twisted and kicked him in the head with her other foot. Hinari twirled to the ground landing on all fours while Hideo slid over the floor. Hinari didn't hesitate; she launched herself at him, as he got to his feet. Seeing this coming, Hideo quickly spun around.

"Kaiten!" Hinari was knocked backwards.

'Shit, that was a lot of chakra.' She thought. Hinari formed a cross shaped seal. "Kage Bunshin no Jutsu!" In a bang and many puffs of smoke, the area was filled with at least a hundred Hinaris. "Let's see if you can keep up." They all charged at Hideo.

'These aren't just ordinary clones. They're real!' He thought as two made contact with him. He got his balance eventually. "Kaiten!" He managed to destroy at least twenty of them, and he still hadn't found the real one. He searched and found one that was hanging back, hesitant to come in. "Found you!" He charged at her and drove his palm into her abdomen. Hinari puffed into smoke. "What?"

"Down here!" Hideo was met with a heel in his chin. He was tossed back into the crowd of replications.

Hideo managed to shrink their numbers down to ten, but he was running out of chakra. With fast strikes he took down the nine clones and was left with just Hinari. He charged, swiping at her with a kunai in one hand. Hinari dodged the kunai, but it caught on her necklace and cut the leather cord that held it around her neck. Hinari didn't notice this, she was too busy to. Hinari performed backhand springs to stay just out of the reach of his hands. Hinari was approaching a wall and she knew it. Hideo grinned, he had this fight won. As Hinari was only a few feet from the wall, he expected her to stop her retreat, and she did. But not in the way he thought she would. Shifting her weight while still on her hands, she sprang forward striking him in the gut with both feet. Hinari was panting heavily.

"This isn't right." He said. "You were supposed to be as useless are your parents." Hinari scowled, her expression going dark. "A half-breed freak like you isn't supposed to be so good." Hinari growled and crouched low to the ground, almost on all fours. "You're just a monster with a lot of chakra." That was the last straw.

"I'll show you a monster!" Hinari roared. Her eyes turned blood red with rage. She pounced on him. Every genin present nearly collapsed from the pressure of the chakra she was emitting. She grabbed Hideo by the collar and threw him across the room. "Kage Bunshin no Jutsu!" Four replications appeared in different parts of the room. One kicked Hideo, passing him to another that tossed him higher into the air. The third kicked him even higher, while the fourth one launched Hinari into the air after him. Hinari punched him in the gut, then a clone kicked him back up and Hinari spun around while in mid-air and threw him to the ground, hard. Two bunshins picked up Hideo and held him up for Hinari.

"Monster…" He murmured, half conscious.

"You can insult me all you want, but you never _ever_ bring my parents into it!" Hinari charged fast. She cocked her arm back, ready to rip his throat out with her bare hands.

"Hinari, stop!" Tsubaki and Takuro yelled. Hinari came to a halt just inches from his throat. Hinari blinked and she dismissed the bunshins. Hideo collapsed in pain. Hinari stared for a moment before collapsing herself. Tsubaki, Hikaru, Takuro, and Akagane jumped down and ran to her.

"Winner is Uzumaki Hinari!" Lee announced. Hideo had collapsed first, making Hinari the winner.

"Hinari!" Takuro reached her first and rested her head on his lap. "Hinari?" Hinari was unconscious and could not hear him. Medics rushed out at a jog. They took Hideo first and returned to get Hinari.

"Hurry up!" Hikaru commanded. They moved faster. Hinari was loaded onto the stretcher and was carried off to receive medical treatment. Neji found himself looking away. Somehow, this scenario was disturbingly familiar to him.

'Hinata-sama.' He thought. Everyone was murmuring about Hinari's sudden spike in power at that moment.

"Are you okay Neji?" Tenten asked.

"I'm fine." He told her. Takuro and Tsubaki watched as Hinari was taken away. They were stunned. Hinari had been injured before, but never like this. Takuro picked up Hinari's necklace and looked at it.

"All three of us won." He murmured. Takuro closed his fingers around the necklace and put it in his pocket.

"Yeah, but will she be able to continue?" Tsubaki asked.

"She'll be fine, by now the Kyuubi has already started to heal any injuries she may have." Hikaru whispered to them. "Along with the medics, she'll but out and about in no time." Takuro and Tsubaki only looked slightly relieved.

"I can't believe she'd pull out the Kyuubis' chakra for this." Takuro said.

"She lost her control; Hinari has never known her parents, only the things that they've accomplished. For them to be insulted is a crime to her. How would you react if someone blatantly said that sort of thing about your parents?" Hikaru asked them.

"I'd beat them to a bloody pulp." Tsubaki said. Takuro nodded.

"See, she was simply reacting normally, albeit a little over the top, but still you can't really blame her for it." Takuro looked around for Akagane and saw that he was following the medics that had Hinari. "Okay, let's head back up to see the last of the matches." The three of them did just that.

The next match involved the last Suna-nin and Kusa-nin. Kanda won easily, his puppet overpowering the Kusa-nin with ease.

"So Kanda uses puppets, like uncle Kankurou." Tsubaki observed. The match after that involved Choujirou and the last of the Kiri-nin. Not even Choujirou Nikudan Sensha could keep up with the fast Kiri-nin. The Kiri-nin won without much trouble. They were down to the final match of the preliminaries. KUSAKABE MASARU VS. YOSHIDA. Yoshida was from Kumo, but was more than a match for Masaru's poorly executed traps. Traps weren't easily put together indoors, unfortunately for him. Or he was just bad with working with a room with virtually nothing in it. Yoshida beat him.

"Well with the prelims over, I'll see you guys in a bit. Make sure to pay extra attention to what the Hokage has to say and report it to me, I'll tell Hinari." Hikaru said, disappearing in a cloud of smoke.

"Will all winners and their jounin instructors please come down here, please?" Lee called up. Tsubaki and Takuro made their way down the stairs. Everyone lined up in front of all the jounin and the Hokage. Tenten approached them with a bag in her hand.

"Take one please, but don't let your neighbor see it." She told them. One by one they reached inside the bag and pulled out little slips of paper.

"Congratulations to all of you for making it past the preliminary round. Up until now, you have faced an opponent, knowing almost nothing about them. But for the finals, you will know who your first opponent will be." Konohamaru told them. "So, starting from the right, state your name, which village you're from, and what number you have on the paper in your hand." He said.

"Nobuo, Kusagakure no Sato, thirteen."

"Kirimaru, Kirigakure no Sato, seven."

"Kazumi, Kirigakure no Sato, eleven."

"Yurumi, Otogakure no Sato, ten."

"Isao, Otogakure no Sato, three."

"Kinji, Iwagakure no Sato, sixteen."

"Yoshida, Kumogakure no Sato, six."

"Yasha, Sunagakure no Sato, eight."

"Tamika, Sunagakure no Sato, four."

"Kanda, Sunagakure no Sato, twelve."

"Inuzuka Kouga, Konohagakure on Sato, fourteen."

"Aburame Hiro, Konohagakure no Sato, five."

"Nara Shikatarou, Konohagakure no Sato, fifteen."

"Uchiha Takuro, Konohagakure no Sato, two."

"Nara Tsubaki, Konohagakure no Sato, nine."

"That leaves Uzumaki Hinari from Konohagakure as number one." Tenten told Konohamaru. He nodded. "Now, take a good look at this. The final round will be a tournament. So, whoever wins, there will be a chance that he or she will be promoted to chuunin." Tenten said.

'Crap, I'm up against that sand guy!' Kirimaru thought, fear coursing through him.

'Hinari's my first opponent! Oh god!' Takuro thought, his eyes widening. 'How am I going to do this?' He ran his fingers through his hair nervously.

'Poor Takuro, he has to go up against Hinari.' Tsubaki thought.

"Now then, now that you know who your opponent is, the final round will be held one month from today. Spend that month preparing. The Kazekage will also be attending, as will lords, and other possible clients. The point of this is to show us your best. You are the best genin of your respective villages. Show the guests that you are worthy of taking on a mission. Now good luck to all of you." With that, they were all dismissed.

"I can't do this, I can't fight Hinari!" Takuro said. Tsubaki sighed.

"If you don't fight her, she'll be disappointed." She said.

"What do you mean?"

"Between the three of us, you two are the power houses, I'm sure she's been dying to go up against you, you are after all, the heir to the Uchiha clan. Who wouldn't want to face you?" Tsubaki told him.

"I guess, I'll talk to Hinari when she's awake." He said.

'Man do I feel sorry for him, but, if I'm right, Hinari will be thrilled.' Tsubaki thought.

They'd all returned to the village, and Takuro was sitting on the roof thinking. 'Do I really want to fight her? Damn, I'm confused.' He heard footsteps and his mother sat down beside him.

"What's eating you Takuro?" She asked.

"I have to fight Hinari in the first round of the finals." He said.

"Oh, is that it?"

" 'It'?" He asked.

"Come one, fighting your best friend runs in the family, I did it, your father did, its your turn now. Don't let it bother you too much."

"But I-,"

"Oh I see, you're feelings are getting in the way. Have you considered what she's thinking?"

"Hinari's unconscious in the hospital still." Takuro said. "She doesn't know yet."

"Will you tell her?" Sakura asked him.

"I'll have to."

"If you're worried about ruining your friendship, don't, if anything you guys will be closer."

"I suppose. But still, I've always been around to fight be her side, or protect, when she needs it, I've never fought against her. Not even a sparring match."

"Then, this will be a very good experience for you." Sakura said standing up. "Besides, even if you lose, there's always next time."

XxXxXxX

Hinari stared out the window taking in the information Takuro was telling her. Hikaru hadn't been in yet, so Takuro was taking the liberty of telling her what she needed to know.

"Takuro?"

"What is it?"

"Am I really a monster?"

"We've had this conversation already. I don't think you are."

"I'm not asking if you think I am. Am I?"

"No. No you're not."

"But then, why, why did I-," Hinari broke off, tears running down her cheeks. "I almost killed him."

"Don't blame yourself for that, he brought it upon himself. Hinari slammed her fist on the bed.

"Why is that every time this happens I'm left crying?" She asked herself.

"Emotions are never easy to control Hinari." Takuro reached up and wiped her tears away. "Don't cry, there's no need to."

"But what if during our match, I lose control."

"You won't, you'll have no reason to. I promise." He wrapped an arm around her shoulders and hugged her. "It'll be okay, don't worry about it." Hinari wiped her tears away.

"Then, how about this, we won't hold back on each other. Use all our skills to try and win, no matter what?" She asked. Takuro nodded.

"Yeah. That's a promise." He took her hand and shook it. Takuro stood up and placed something on her nightstand. "I'll see you in a month Hinari, good luck with your training." He said. Takuro left her alone. Hinari looked at what he'd left her. A small box tied up in a ribbon. She untied the ribbon and opened the box. Her necklace was inside, with an upgrade. Instead of the leather cord, it hung from a delicate silver chain. Hinari smiled and put it on.

Hinari continued to stare out the window until a familiar sent entered the room. She turned to see Hikaru. "Hikaru-sensei, I want you to teach me Jyuuken." She said. Hikaru smiled.

"Sure." Was the reply.


	14. Chapter 14: Training

Hinari

Chapter 14

Sakura Hanamoto

Hinari activated her Byakugan and quickly made her way down the halls and slipped through an emergency exit door. She climbed three flights of stairs up to the Permanent Residence Ward. She came through the door and checked for anyone that might catch her. She was about to be discharged from the hospital and handed over to Hikaru, but she had to see something for herself. She stopped in front of room 315 and took a deep breath. Reaching for the doorknob, she turned it and slipped inside. Hinari closed the door quietly and paused to gather her courage. She could hear a monitor beeping at a steady rate. Slowly, Hinari turned.

On the bed lay a girl of about fifteen with long bright as sunshine blonde hair. Hinari approached the end of the bed and picked up the clipboard that hung there. "Uzumaki Arashi. So it's true. My older sister." Hinari looked at the girl, the girl didn't look like she could be her sister, but it was. The chart indicated her blood type; it was the same as Hinari's. Hinari came to the bedside and noticed that someone had been in recently. There was a fresh bouquet of flowers sitting in a vase on the nightstand. Hinari heard footsteps down the hall and she ducked out of the room quickly. No one even knew she was there.

XxXxXxX

Hinari and Hikaru walked down the street towards Hinari's apartment. From an apartment window a boy tried to throw a rock at her but Hinari dodged it easily. Hikaru said nothing about it. They came to her apartment and Hinari stepped inside. Hinari went to her closet and grabbed several changes of clothing and stuffed them into her bag. Next she reached underneath her bed and pulled up the loose floor boards and grabbed the shoe boxes she kept there.

"Okay, I'm ready to go." Hinari said. They left the apartment and made their way to the Hyuuga complex. It was easily three times bigger than the Uchiha one. Though Hinari had been there before, the sheer size of it always impressed her.

"Come, I know someone is just dying to see you again." Hikaru said. And soon enough, a happy giggle reached Hinari's ears.

"Hinari-'nee-chan!" Hitomi ran up to her, and Hinari lifted the girl high into the air. The girl squealed with delight.

"Hello Hitomi-hime, it is nice to see you again." Hinari told her.

"Welcome back Hinari-chan." Hinari turned to see her aunt.

"Hello Aunt Hanabi." Hinari put Hitomi down, and she proceeded to chase Akagane around the training yard.

"I was told that you would be coming here for training." Hanabi said. Hinari nodded. "Then, we've no time to lose." Hanabi came at her fast. Hinari barely dodged the Jyuuken strike. Hinari quickly activated her Byakugan in time to see Hanabi's other hand coming at her. Hinari dodged again and tried to sweep Hanabi's legs from under her, but Hanabi leapt up and struck. Hinari stumbled back from the discomfort of having her tenketsu blocked. "Keep your feet moving; never take your eyes off your opponent." Hanabi lectured as she settled into a taijutsu stance that Hinari was more accustomed to. "Here I come." Hanabi charged, arm cocked back ready to punch. Hinari blocked and countered. Hinari blocked a high kick and threw Hanabi across the training area.

"Look out below!" Hinari looked up to see Hikaru coming in as well. Hinari twisted and Hikaru missed. "Incredible flexibility, fast and light on the feet, powerful strikes. You're an excellent fighter already." Hikaru attempted to come in low, but that was Hinari's area of expertise, she dodged and countered fast. Hikaru was barely able to block the kick in time. "But you can be better, much better." Hikaru finally managed to grab Hinari's ankle and dropped the girl to the ground. Hanabi and Hikaru grinned. "This next month will be hell on earth! I hope you're ready for it."

"My whole life has been hell on earth, I can take it." Hinari said as she stood up. "Good, we start now. First, I wanna see how accurate that Byakugan of yours is. How should we go about this?" Hikaru thought for a moment. "Any ideas Hanabi-sama?" She asked.

"Why don't we ask an expert?" Hanabi suggested. Hanabi walked up to her daughter and whispered in the little girl's ear. The girl was off in a bound, Akagane not too far behind. A few minutes later Hyuuga Neji appeared, carrying Hitomi on his shoulder.

"You called?"

"Yes, we need to test Hinari's accuracy with the Byakugan. Any ideas?" Hanabi said.

"Hinari, how many birds do you see?" He asked after a moment of thinking. Hinari widened the scope of her eyes, and then focused in.

"One, two, three…eight." She said at last. "Six meters to Hikaru-sensei's left." Neji went scared the birds. As they took flight, he counted.

"Eight, she's right. Not bad." Hinari smiled.

"But we've only just begun. Hikaru, bring out one of the practice dummies." Hanabi ordered. Hikaru disappeared around one of the buildings for a moment. When she returned, she came with a dummy with a rope around its neck. She tied it to a nearby tree.

"Okay, the basics of Jyuuken are to utilize your chakra to plug your opponent's tenketsu. The tenketsu are so small, you need the Byakugan to see them. These dummies are designed so that you can practice. If you look very closely, we've marked out tenketsu on the dummy with paint. The one flaw with this type of practice is that you can't tell if it's working. This exercise is usually left for the young ones who are just learning." Hikaru explained to her. Hinari nodded attentively, she had no intention of zoning out. "So, this," Hikaru got into a basic Jyuuken taijutsu stance. "is the basic fighting stance for Jyuuken. Try it." Hinari took to the stance easily. Hikaru noticed this. "Once you get better, you can go ahead and experiment with your own style." Hinari nodded. "I'll hand it over to you Neji if that's okay; I've got some paperwork to fill out." Hikaru said.

"That's fine." Neji moved closer to Hinari. "To conserve chakra, we won't use any. But, when using Jyuuken, depending on how much power you want to put into it, you use either your palm. Or you use your finger tips. The finger tips are generally used for weaker attacks, or the killing stroke to the chest." As he spoke, Neji demonstrated. "Let's see you try." Hinari settled into the stance and struck the dummy with quick movements.

"How was that?"

"Quite impressive, you have excellent agility." Neji took down the dummy and threw it off to the side. Hitomi and Akagane were sitting nearby and watching them. "Now then, you will practice on me, don't use any chakra, I want to see how you react to a moving target. Start when you're ready." Hinari took a deep breath and began her assault. Neji was much faster than she expected and countered her attempted blows with ease. In a final effort, Hinari managed to sweep his legs out and got him that way. Neji chuckled. "Good, good, you threw in some basic taijutsu in there as well. You've only started today, and you've got a unique style going." Neji stood and brushed the dirt form his clothing.

They'd been going for at least three hours now, and Hinari seemed to have learned a lot already. She found that after a while, using her palms rather than her fists felt quite natural to her.

"Uncle Neji, its lunch time!" Hitomi called to them. Someone had brought out a tray laden with food for them. Hitomi was eating a small sandwich. Neji and Hinari came and sat next to her. Neji picked up one of the sandwiches and ate it. Hinari hesitated and Neji noticed.

"Go ahead Hinari; you must be starving by now. You've been at this since eleven this morning." Neji indicated the large plate and Hinari picked one up and ate it. It was delicious, there was plenty of beef in it so it was filing. Hinari pulled out a few pieces and placed them in Hitomi's hands.

"Give it to Akagane." Hinari told her. Hitomi lowered her hands and Akagane ate the pieces out of her hands. Hitomi laughed at the feeling of Akagane's tongue on her fingers.

"That tickles." Hitomi said. Hinari smiled at the girl and ate another sandwich.

"Neji-san, is Jyuuken difficult to learn?" She asked him.

"For some yes, but for the most part, no. You've taken to it quite easily. You're chakra control is already good, that helps considerably." Neji told her.

"I read in a scroll once that everyone has a different chakra type. Like some people are associated with wind, and others with fire, or water. Is there a way to find out what chakra type you have?" Hinari queried.

"Yes. I believe I have some, I'll be right back." Hinari continued to eat sandwiches while watching Hitomi and Akagane run around the yard. Hitomi never stopped laughing or smiling the whole time.

Neji returned with a square of paper in his hands. "Take this and channel your chakra into it." Hinari did as she was told; the paper became wet, and then split down the center.

"What does that mean?"

"This is rare; you're affiliated with two elements, water and wind. It's not very often that someone has two types, let alone one of them being wind. There are very few of those types. In this whole village I believe there are two others. Nara Temari and her daughter. They both are very much attuned to the wind." Neji told her.

"Wow." Hinari whispered. "Do you know what my parents were?" She asked.

"Hinata-sama was water, Naruto-sama was wind. This would explain why you seem to have taken to learning Jyuuken so quickly. What you've learned in the three hours of training, it takes someone a year to learn." He said.

"Really? That's incredible." Hinari was in shock.

"With the rate of your training, you'll be more than ready in a month." He told her. "Maybe there'll be time to teach you the Kaiten." Hinari smiled. "And another thing, just call me Uncle Neji. Most of the younger generation does anyway." He added.

"Okay, Uncle Neji."

XxXxXxX

A week into Hinari's training, her range and accuracy with the Jyuuken increased, as well as her agility and overall speed. Neji and Hinari were sparring one day when he brought up an important problem. He'd grabbed her by the hair to disable her movements.

"Tie your hair back, otherwise, cut it off." He told her. "Your hair is a setback to most kunoichi. They can be vain enough to want it long, but it can be dangerous. You might get into serious trouble because of it. Only some of the really skilled ones dare to go on a mission with their hair loose." Neji lectured.

"He's got a point there Hinari; I could have gotten killed once because I had long hair." Sakura put in. She'd stopped by to deliver something to Hanabi. "I had to chop it off in the battlefield to protect my teammates. I've kept it short since then."

"Okay, I won't forget." Hinari told him as Neji released her.

XxXxXxX

The next day, Hinari knocked in Hikaru's bedroom door before training began.

"Come in." Hinari opened the door and entered.

"Hikaru-sensei, um, do you have anything I can tie my hair back with?" She asked her.

"Come here Hinari." Hikaru guided her student to the vanity in her room and made her sit. Hikaru picked up a brush and brushed out her long indigo hair. "It's really long, you sure you don't want to at least trim it?" She asked.

"It's fine." Hinari replied.

"Okay, I'm going to teach you how to braid your hair. Braids are some if the best ways to tie it back. Unlike ponytails, they keep your hair together effectively. Plus, with the length of it, it can still offer a grip. But, there are a few things that can be braided into it to prevent that." Hikaru reached into one of the drawers and pulled out a long thin strip of leather with spikes attached to it. "There's a nasty surprise that'll keep them from trying to grab your hair." Hikaru showed Hinari how to start the braid and include the spiked strip. When it was done, Hinari's hair looked shorter, and it was tied off with a strip of cloth.

"Thank you." Hinari said as she took a look at it. It made her head seem a little smaller somehow, maybe because her hair wasn't all over the place. Hinari's forehead protector kept her bangs off her face, but they were getting longer.

"Okay, let's go get some training down. We're going something different today." Hikaru said.

"What are we doing?"

"I'm going to clock your running time; your records at the academy say you ran a mile in five minutes. I wanna see if you've improved."

"Okay," Hinari and Hikaru made there way to the front gate and Hinari gave the breeze a quick whiff. "Hmmm, perfect conditions." She muttered. Hinari crouched on the ground, ready to take off. "I'm ready."

"Go!" Hinari was off like lightning. She merely taking off had kicked up a wind. Hikaru's hair ruffled in it and she smiled. Neji and Hanabi stood behind her.

"She's already gone? How long has it been?" Hanabi asked.

"Thirty seconds." Hikaru said.

XxXxXxX

Hinari grinned with delight. It had been month since she'd been able to run like this. To run for no other purpose but self-improvement. A few of the villagers she passed looked behind the girl half expecting a group of chuunin or villagers to be following her. There weren't any.

Hinari ran by the Academy, almost knocking over Shikamaru who was laden down with a large stack of papers. She blew by so fast his cigarette went out. "Troublesome girl." He muttered as he spat out the cigarette but and pushed open the academy doors.

Hinari knew she was nearing the turn around point, she had a mental map of Konoha memorized, and that included distances between places. From the main gate of the Hyuuga manor, to a half mile from it was Ichiraku Ramen bar. Hinari came to the small restaurant and ground to a halt in front of Ayame who was sweeping.

"Good morning Ayame-san, I'll see you later." Hinari was off again, back to the Hyuuga main gates. Ayame laughed, the girl always seemed to be on a run when she wasn't eating.

Hinari went passed the Academy and narrowly avoided running into Shikamaru again, and a second cigarette was wasted. Hinari continued back to the main gates, and as she approached she put on another burst of speed to shave a second or two off her time. She ground to a halt right in front of Hikaru.

"Impressive, four and a half minutes." Hinari grinned.

"Heh, and I wasn't even using extra chakra to go faster." She said.

"That's your natural speed?" Neji asked.

"Yep!"

"Amazing, not even Lee could run that fast." He muttered. "Simply amazing."

"You get pretty fast when you're running from villagers and a few shinobi who don't like you almost everyday of your life. They gave up by my second year in the academy since they realized that not even and ANBU captain could catch me." Hinari took a drink of water from a water bottle Hikaru handed her.

"Anyway, you can have a break today Hinari, do whatever you want for the day. You can afford a day off." Hikaru told her.

"Thanks Hikaru-sensei! I'll see you guys later!" Hinari was already at the corner and waved. 'Hmm, I was going to visit an old friend today since I have time.' Hinari thought. She wandered towards the more rundown part of the village. She looked about warily; the place was far from friendly. Hinari made sure that she was wearing her forehead protector. By the looks of things, if she wasn't a registered shinobi, she'd have been attacked by now. But that didn't stop everyone. She felt a hand slipping into her kunai pouch. Hinari reached behind and held a small boy up. "Just a kid." Hinari reached into her pocket and shoved some money into his hand. "Take it kid and get lost." Hinari let the boy go and he ran off. Hinari made sure she everything was still in place. Cautiously, she tucked her necklace under her shirt, from what she'd been told it was worth enough to by at least one mountain.

Hinari came to a small apartment building and walked up to the stairs to the second floor. She stopped in front of a door and knocked. The door opened and crack and only an eye can be seen.

"Who are you?" The voice asked. The voice of a scared woman.

"Is this Nakamura Machi?" Hinari asked.

"Yes."

"It's me, Hinari, remember, from the orphanage." Hinari said. The door opened wider to reveal a woman in her mid-twenties.

"Hinari-chan? Is that really you?" Hinari nodded. The woman swept her in an embrace.

"Oh my God, Hinari it really is you! I've missed you so much!" The woman was crying now.

"It's good to see you again Machi-san." The woman let go of her and let her inside.

"Sit down, sit down, I'll make some tea." She told her. Hinari sat on the small sofa and took in her surroundings. The apartment was almost as small as her own, but not as well kept.

"So, Machi-san, how have things been working out for you?" Hinari asked.

"Oh not too well I'm afraid."

"Why's that?"

"Every time I apply for a job I'm turned away. They call the orphanage, because it's my only reference and they're told that I associate myself with demon spawn so I never get a chance." Machi stared at the ground, her hands were shaking. Hinari felt a pang of guilt. It was Hinari's fault that Machi couldn't get a job. It was obvious the woman was also having some health problems. Her cheeks were sunken, and there were dark circles under her eyes.

"I'm sorry Machi-san." Hinari whispered.

"No, no, no, don't apologize, there's no need."

"Yes there is, it's my fault. You were so kind to me when I was in the orphanage. You were the only one that cared, but you were sent away, and now you can't get a job. It's my entire fault." Hinari said.

"But it's my fault that you couldn't get a decent home to live in." Machi said. "I'm so sorry. If I'd known that they were going to kick you out, I'd have taken you in myself. But I didn't, and I couldn't find you." Machi seemed to have lapsed into an intense trance of sorrow.

"I need to make up for making you life miserable." Hinari said standing.

"You will? How?"

"I'll help you find a job. Several of the villagers like me, or tolerate me at least. Maybe some of them would be willing to hire you."

"But, I've so few skills. All I'm good at is taking care of children and I know a little about weaponry from my father but."

"That's great! The smith that runs the weapons shop is looking for an assistant. He supplies a good portion of Konoha's shinobi with weapons. He might hire you." Hinari grabbed Machi's hand. "Come on!" As Hinari reached for the door, but a scent caught her attention. "Stay back for a second." Hinari pulled the door open and came upon a group of kids that were vandalizing the door. The five kids tried to run, but Hinari caught two of them.

"We're sorry, we won't do it again!" One boy said, the other nodded. Hinari let the go. Machi sighed.

"Will it ever end?" She asked herself.

"If you want, I'll put a seal together that'll make your apartment vandal proof." Hinari said.

"Can you really?"

"Sure, it's not that difficult." Hinari assured her with a grin.

"Thank you so much!" Machi exclaimed.

"Thank me when we get you a job. Come on!" Hinari and Machi came closer to the center of town and entered the weapons shop. "Hey! Old man, I've got someone here that wants to talk to you!" Hinari called through the shop. I middle aged man stepped out from the back of the shop wiping his hands on an already dirty cloth.

"Hey there Hinari, waddya need?" He asked.

"Machi-san here is looking for a job." Hinari said. The man regarded her.

"Name's Kouji. What's yours?" He asked Machi.

"Nakamura Machi." She answered shakily.

"What can you do that's of use in a weapons shop?" He asked leaning against the front corner.

"Um, well my father taught me the basics of forging, but, I haven't been in practice in years." Machi said.

"That's fine, I'll help you out. Now then, what previous work experience do you have?" At this, Machi's courage melted away. She couldn't bring herself to speak.

"Machi worked at the orphanage for three years." Hinari told him. Kouji rubbed his chin; they could hear his callused hands grate against the stubble on his chin.

"Come in tomorrow, I'll give you a refresher course on forging. You can start work the day after that, working the register." He said. Machi's face lit up in a smile and she didn't look so tired anymore. She bowed to him.

"Thank you so much! You won't regret this." Machi and Hinari left. They walked down the street and Hinari noticed a new spring in Machi's step. "How can I ever thank you Hinari?"

"There's no need, helping you out was enough for me. I'll come by tomorrow with that seal." Hinari told her. "I've got to get going now. Um, I'm going to be in the finals for the Chuunin exam in a month, will you come watch?" She asked.

"Of course I will!" With that Hinari gave her a hug and ran off. Hinari returned to the Hyuuga complex just in time for lunch. But that wasn't the only thing she arrived for.

"Hanabi-sama!" Hinari recognized Sakura's voice.

"Sakura-san, what is it?" Hanabi asked.

"She's awake! She's awake!" Sakura cried.

"When you say 'she' you mean her?" Sakura nodded excitedly.

"Arashi's awake!" Hinari gasped.

'My sister? She woke up?' She thought. Hinari took off for the hospital; she had to see for herself. She so desperately wanted to see her sister. She wondered what color her eyes were, were they blue? Or were they white? Hinari wanted so badly to introduce herself to her only family member.

XxXxXxX

Uzumaki Arashi lay in bed staring at the ceiling. She'd been told not to move, her muscles were still very weak. Three years in a coma was not easy to recover from apparently. Just then she heard the door open and she turned her head to see if it was a nurse or the pretty medic-nin. What she saw surprised her. A girl of twelve with long indigo tied in a braid, and bright blue eyes. Arashi stared, and then spoke for the first time in three years. "Who are you?"


	15. Chapter 15: Meeting and More Training

Hinari

Chapter 15

Sakura Hanamoto

Hinari stared at her older sister. The girl had blonde hair, from their father, and white eyes, from their mother. Hinari opened her mouth to speak, but no words came out.

"She is your younger sister, Arashi-chan." Sakura said. She stood behind Hinari. What surprised Hinari the most was that she hadn't heard or smelled her coming. Odd considering that Sakura always smelled faintly of cherry blossoms.

"My younger sister? But, I don't have a younger sister." Arashi said.

"Yes, you do. You were raised apart from each other. Arashi, you went to an orphanage when you were three because of the death of your parents. We'd have put you in the custody of the Hyuuga clan, your mother's clan, but many of them still were very obstinate. You were put into the orphanage to keep you humble, not make you arrogant. Hinari went to that same orphanage, but the caretakers there kept you two apart. You never met, you never knew about each other. When you began to attend the Academy, you were given an apartment of your own. Where as, Hinari was kicked out of the orphanage when she was four. She lived on the streets until now." Sakura explained. "But my question is, how did you know about your sister Hinari, no one ever told you?"

"Oh, you remember that scroll that Hokage-sama gave me? My father's final words, he told me about her. He had a feeling that we wouldn't be informed of each other's existence, so he took the initiative and told me about my onee-san." Hinari told her.

"How did you know she was here?"

"I asked the nice receptionist if there was a listed address for Uzumaki Arashi, she told me that she had been moved to the Permanent Residence Ward, room 315. So, I came up here to see for myself."

"I see. Well, I suppose I can let you two get to know each other. But one hour only Hinari, I need to explain a lot of things to Arashi." With that, Sakura left the two girls alone. Hinari pulled up a chair and sat by her sister's bed.

"I'm sure you're a little confused about this." Hinari began.

"I am. I had no idea that I had family. No one over told me." Arashi's voice was a high alto voice, with a bit of scratchiness to it, but maybe that was because she hadn't used it in so long.

"I only knew about the Hyuuga clan, I had no idea I had a big sister out there this whole time." Hinari admitted. "So, we might as well get to know each other. Hi, I'm Uzumaki Hinari, you're younger sister. My favorite things in the world are ramen, swimming in the river, and training with my friends. I hate people that judge on first appearances. And, I'm the fastest recorded runner in Konoha." She told her. Arashi smiled.

"It's nice to meet you Hinari. I'm Uzumaki Arashi. My favorite things are, um, playing pranks, and, I also like ramen, especially from Ichiraku."

"Me too! What's your favorite flavor? I like beef." Hinari smiled.

"I'm more of the seafood type. But the beef is good too." Arashi managed to push herself up a little. "So you're a shinobi?" Arashi asked.

"Yep! I'm taking the Chuunin Exam right now. I'm training for the final round." Hinari said happily.

"That's nice; I'm still a genin myself. I never made it passed round two."

"Really?"

"Yeah, it was during the second round that I got hurt real bad. I guess that's how I ended up in a coma. I hope you get promoted." Arashi reached into the drawer of the night stand and pulled out her forehead protector. It was covered in a layer of dust and she wiped it off. Hinari could tell that she liked her sister already.

"You said that you liked playing pranks, what kind of pranks did you used to play on people?"

"My all time favorite one was when I was eleven; I rigged the entire Academy with trip wires so whenever a door was opened all sorts of stuff would happen. I remember I covered Shikamaru-sensei in a thick layer of neon purple paint I'd filled a balloon with. I heard his cigarettes tasted like paint until he smoked the whole pack." Arashi laughed at the memory. Hinari tried to picture it and found it incredibly funny.

"Are you good with traps?" She asked. Arashi nodded.

"My specialty, setting them, and taking them apart." Arashi told her. "You know, our father, he founded a branch of the ANBU. It was called the Infiltration and Sabotage Squad. Those ANBU are trained specifically for espionage. It's my dream to become a member. But they're not as active as they used to be. They kind of fizzled into the background a couple years after Dad died. They don't get as much attention as the other branches of the ANBU." Arashi said.

"Wow, I don't have a specific goal for myself. I never set one. I just want a little respect from the villagers." Hinari said.

"Really? You should. It gives you an extra drive to improve. But why don't they respect you?" Arashi asked. Before she answered, Hinari went to the door and pressed her ear to it and listened. No one was nearby to hear her. She locked the door for good measure.

"The Kyuubi was sealed inside of me twelve years ago." She said.

"What? You mean, you were the one chosen to be the vessel?" Arashi asked her surprised. Hinari nodded.

"You're the one of two of our generation that knows. My two teammates Takuro and Tsubaki know."

"I finally understand. I think I saw you once or twice in the orphanage when I was small. You were always chased away by one of the caretakers there. I never knew that you were my little sister." Arashi murmured.

"You don't hate me do you? It was my fault that father died?" Hinari asked her.

"I can't hate you, I just met you, and your family, I could never hate you for something you can't control." Arashi told her.

"Thank you." Hinari said, she was a little sad that she'd brought it up in the first place, but she felt that her sister was better off knowing now. Hinair stood up and unlocked the door when she smelled cherry blossoms. Sakura entered the room.

"Hinari, you're hour's up."

"Already?" Hinari stood. Before she turned away from her sister, she spoke one final time. "Can I call you 'nee-chan?"

"Yeah." With that, Hinari left the hospital. She really liked her older sister already.

XxXxXxX

Halfway through the second week, Hinari had moved on to learn a technique her mother had created. It was called, the Shugohakke Rokujuuyon Shou. But it required her to be constantly standing on water to master. But she didn't mind, it was good practice for her concentration. Hinari found that the technique was rather easy to master. But, she had a feeling that she wouldn't really need it at the moment. So she set it aside for something else.

Late one night, Akagane awoke her. "Jeez, Akagane its one o'clock in the morning, can't it wait?"

"No it cannot!" He replied. He managed to drag the blankets off of her. "Up you get, this is very improtant!" Finally, Hinari got out of bed and changed into her clothes. She pulled on her jacket and they snuck out of the Hyuuga manor with ease. Akagane lead Hinari out of the village and into the forest. Once they were some distance from the village, Akagane raised his nose to the sky and howled. There were five answering calls to it. From the brush appeared five foxes of varying sizes. But what happened next is what surprised her the most. One of them started to speak!

"What's this? Akagane, how have you been?" They ran up to Akagane and jumped about excitedly. "And you brought her with you! That's great!" Hinari was suddenly very ill at ease. But they were calmed when one by one they appraoched and introduced themselves. "Hey there, I'm Kai, the eldest." The one that had spoken to Akagane said. Hinari noticed that he had two tails rather than one.

"I'm Yumeka, the second oldest." She too had two tails.

"Name's Tetsujin!" A rather hyperactive one said. He had two tails as well.

"My name is Umi." A fourth one said giving her a slight bow. She only had one tail.

"Hello there, I'm Gin." The fifth said. She also had one tail.

"And of course, our baby brother Akagane, we wondered why he'd wandered off like that. Turns out he's been living with you Hinari-'nee-chan." Kai said. "But thanks for taking care of him." Hinari was amazed that they could all speak. But she was too surprised to say a thing.

"Um, Akagane said that he had an improtant reason for dragging me out here in the middle of the night." Hianri managed to say.

"Oh yeah, since you are the vessel to our boss, Kyuubi, we thought we'd make a contract for you." Kai told her.

"Contract?"

"Yeah, a summoning contract!" Tetsujin was jumping around her excitedly. "That way, when you need our help, just summon us and we'll come!" Umi and Yumeka handed Hinari a scroll.

"Just sign your name and an imprint of your fingertips in blood." Yumeka told her.

"Okay." Hinari bit down on her thumb and squeezed the tip until blood ran from it. Gin and Tetsujin unrolled the scroll for her and she signed.

"The seals for summoning are always the same, so they would be boar, dog, monkey, bird, ram." Gin told her. Hinari formed them but molded no chakra.

"Okay got it."

"Also, if you want to summon one of us specifically, then think of him or her and then use the technique." Umi added.

"Okay, I'm going to head back now, I need to catch up on some sleep. You coming Akagane?"

"No, I'll stay here. You can just summon me when you want, I'm included in the package." He replied.

"Okay then, see you guys later. I'll come out here tomorrow night for a little extra training I want to do." Hinari informed them. She walked away, headed back to the village.

XxXxXxX

The next night Hinari sat in the forest molding chakra. She looked down at the seal on her stomach. 'Yes, its working!' She molded a little more. 'Kyuubi-san, give me a little bit of your chakra. Just a little bit.'

**"Okay, but be careful, we don't wanna wake up the whole village."** Kyuubi carefully leaked some of his chakra into her system. Hinari could feel it, the rush of strength that ran through her. Hinari's nails lengthened and her pupils dilated into slits, but her eyes remained blue.

'All right! It worked!' Hinari thought jubilantly. "New taijutsu style complete." She whispered. 'Hehehe. This was easier than I thought it would be. The right combo of seals, and I've got a taijutsu style ready to go when I need it.' Hinari sat on the ground and picked up the scroll she'd brought with her. Opening it she read the directions. 'Okay let's see, mold chakra into your hand, and break a waterballoon with the spinning chakra. Hinari picked up a water balloon from a back she'd brought with her. Concentrating, she molded the chakra felt it spinning in the balloon. She spun it faster but it didn't burst. Instead, the balloon only flattened itself to a degree that she was surprised that it didn't just pop. With a sigh she paused.

Hinari read the directions on the scroll carefully. 'Hmm, maybe if I do this.' Hinari picked the balloon up and began to rotate the chakra. Then, using her right hand, she forced her chakra into the balloon, after a moment, the balloon popped. She smiled. 'Yes!'

**"Hinari, be careful, the training for that tenchnique can give you severe chakra burns on your hands, no need to injure yourself now. Why don't you train with it after the exam when you have more time?"** Kyuubi suggested.

'Okay, might as well head back now.' Hinari stood up, picked up the things she'd brought with her and headed back into the village.

XxXxXxX

Hinari's training became more and more intense. Sakura had volunteered to go up against Hinari to give some experience with some that didn't use Jyuuken. It was difficult, Hinari narrowly dodged a of couple bone-crushing punches thrown at her. Hinari countered with a Jyuuken strike, hoping to plug the tenketsu on Sakura's arm. Off to the side, Hitomi and Arashi watched. Arashi sat in a wheelchair, her legs weren't strong enough to support her weight.

"Come on Hinari, faster, don't retreat!" Hikaru coached from the sidelines. Hinari tried to sweep Sakura's feet out from under her but failed. Hinari came in with a strike to the stomach but failed. Using her free hand, she punched her instead. Hinari took this chance to take Sakura down with a spin kick to the chest. Sakura stood up.

"Not bad Hinari, but I was going easy on you. I don't know if Takuro will."

"He won't, we promised that we wouldn't hold back on each other." Hinari told her. Sakura dusted herself off.

"Well, I've got to get back to the hsotpital with Arashi. Good luck Hinari!"

"Good luckk Hinari!" Arashi called.

"Thanks 'nee-chan, see you later!" The two left and Hinari plopped down on the ground with a sighed. "One week left. Time sure does fly." She said.

"Yeah, it does. So, you think you're ready?" Hikaru asked her.

"I hope so, I'd better be ready. I wonder what Takuro and Tsubaki have been doing. I haven't seen them at all."

XxXxXxX

Tsubaki stared her brother down and he did the same.

"Come on Shika-'nii-chan, quit stalling already."

"Shut up, I'm working something out." Shikatarou did not move for a few moments. Then he raised his hand. Tsubaki tensed and he pushed a piece across the shogi board. "Your turn."

'All that suspense for such a lame move, sheesh.' Tsubaki thought as she made her move.

"Shouldn't you two be training?" Temari asked staring down at her children.

"Dad taught us another shadow technique, there really isn't much we can do to prepare." Tsubaki replied.

"Well, I've got a few more tricks to teach you." Temari picked up her daughter and dragged her off.

"We'll continue later!" Tsubaki called to her brother. Shikatarou sighed.

"Nothing for me to do but hang aorund until the day comes." He muttered as he lay down on his back and stared at the clouds above him.

XxXxXxX

Takuro was exhausted. His father was working him to the bone. Not only that but he needed a haircut, even with the forehead protector, his bangs fell into his face. He blew some out of his eyes irritably.

"Come on Takuro, once more then we'll head back." Takuro activated his Sharingan and charged at his father. As far as he could tell, the only improvement he'd made was that his Sharingan had evolved to the next level. All that was left for him was the Mangekyo, but he was years from that. Takuro threw a punch at his father, but he dodged it. Takuro aimed a high kick, but missed again. With exhaustion came sluggishness. He didn't even have the energy to counter or block his father's punch to the gut. "Okay, that's enough Takuro. Let's go." Takuro nodded and took a step forward and collapsed. Sasuke chuckled. "I think I worked him just a little too hard."

"I'll say so, he won't be coming out here for another two days." Sakura said, her hands on her hips. "He needs to replenish his chakra and get some much needed sleep and food." Sasuke picked Takuro up and carried his son on his back. "And look at his hair, he really needs a haricut." She commented. "He looks like you."

"Is that such a bad thing?" Sasuke asked her.

"No, but he can at least keep his hair neat. I still don't know what you use to keep your hair like that." Sakura muttered. The two headed home as Takuro slept soundly, using his father's shoulder as a pillow.

XxXxXxX

Hinari had managed to develop her own style for the Jyuuken. At random intervals, she'd switch to normal taijutsu to throw her opponent off. Also, her style involved several acrobatic feats that she could perform without wasting any energy. She rarely missed like this, since her opponent was usually confused by her movements to try and dodge or block. Not only that, but her agility improved to an incredible speed. Hinari knew that she was ready for the finals. Without a doubt, she'd be ready for whatever Takuro threw at her.

Towards the end of the month, she'd avoid certain parts of the Hyuuga manor, mostly because Hideo was finally discharged from the hospital. Even though she'd given him a sound beating, she was afraid she might do it again. But one day, they finally buried the hatchet, sort of.

Hinari was practicing her shuriken throwing out in the yard when Hideo came to watch her.

"What do you want?" Hinari snapped.

"What? I can't sit here and watch without saying a word?"

"No you may not, you smell of sweat, go take a shower and maybe I'll let you." Hinari retorted.

"Hmm, I think I'll wait."

"Gross." Hinari threw a shuriken and she missed badly. "You're ruining my concentration."

"I apologize, I did not realize that it would bother you so much." Hideo still had large amounts of bandages wrapped around his arms and chest. Had she really hit him that hard? Hinari wondered.

"Whatever, but your smell is distracting, and you breath very loudly."

"I didn't know I breathed so loudly."

"I have good hearing and smell, so get lost already." Hinari said.

"Hinari-'nee-chan! Where's Aka-chan?" Hitomi asked tugging on the leg of Hinari's pants. "Can I play with Aka-chan?" She asked.

"Sure." Taking the shuriken in her hand, she made a small cut on her thumb and performed a few seals. "Kuchiyose no Jutsu." Akagane appeared, sneezing from the smoke that surrounded him.

"Aka-chan!" Hitomi hugged the fox tightly.

"Ow! That hurts!"

"Oh, you can talk now." Hinari commented.

"Yep!"

"Go play with Hitomi-hime, she misses you." Hinari told him.

"Okay, let's go Hitomi-hime!" Akagane jumped up and down and Hitomi followed, not scared in the least at his ability to speak. Hinari threw the shuriken and hit the target dead center.

"Interesting fox you have there." Hideo commented.

"Yeah, interesting." Hinari wondered if Akagane would be sprouting a second tail anytime soon.

"Hideo-kun, Hinari-chan. Dinner time!" One of the cooks of the house came. A nice woman, who always seemed to be smiling. Hinari collected her weapons and tucked them away. She helped Hideo stand up, his legs were rather unsteady and he needed a cane to keep from falling over.

"Thanks, I guess." He muttered, staring at Hinari's retreating back, her braid swished from side to side as she walked.

XxXxXxX

It was the day of the finals. The stadium was filled with people. Shinobi who got the day off to watch, rich people who wanted to see possible candidates to hire, and of course, the Hokage and Kazekage. Hanabi, Neji, Hikaru, Hideo all sat in the stands to watch. Hitomi sat on Hanabi's lap. Beside Hanabi was Sasuke and Sakura. Arashi sat in a wheelchair next to Sakura. On Hideo's left side was Machi and Kouji, the shop was closed down for the day, they wanted to see Hinari. In the row in front of them were Temari, Shikamaru, Kankurou and his wife. The Hokage and Kazekage got their own viewing box, only their personal guard were there with them. Lee waited down in the arena with the participating genin. But there was a problem. One was late.

Konohamaru stood up. "Ladies and gentlemen, and honored guests, we welcome you to the final round of the Chuunin Exam!" He called to the audience. The crowd cheered. "Now, without further wait, the first match will begin." The crowd cheered louder. They wanted to see the Uchiha heir in action. Plus, most were there, hoping to see Hinari lose. As Konohamaru sat down, Tenten appeared by his side.

"Hokage-sama, Hinari hasn't arrived yet." Tenten reported.

"She has five minutes." Konohamaru said. Tenten nodded and went down to Lee and told him the situation. Takuro heard her.

'Hinari, what the hell are you doing?' He thought. 'Hurry up and get here!'

Up in the stands the Hyuuga were thinking the same thing. "Come on Hinari, you can make it! Don't screw up now!" Hideo muttered, annoyed that she hadn't arrived yet.

"How far is it from here to the manor?" Neji asked.

"One mile." Hanabi answered. Hikaru smiled.

"She'll make it." Hikaru said. "She isn't the fastest runner in the village for nothing, after all."

XxXxXxX

Hinari was leaving a trail of dust in her wake as she ran. 'I've gotta get there in time.' She thougth as she pushed herself faster.


	16. Chapter 16: Hinari vs Takuro

Hinari

Chapter 16

Sakura Hanamoto

Hinari was kicking up a trail of dirt in her haste to get to the arena. She knew it was a mile away, but she didn't care, she'd knew she'd make it, if only just. She could already hear the cheering, chanting, and calls for the match to start already. Hinari turned a corner and there it was, another four hundred feet away. She put on another burst of speed. She could hear Lee making an announcement. She couldn't be late; there was just no way she was late enough to be disqualified.

"…has one minute left." Hinari came to the arena, ran passed the two shinobi acting as doormen and entered the arena. She came to a halt in front of Lee and Takuro.

"Sorry I'm late; the alarm clock didn't go off." Hinari said with a smile. She looked over at Takuro. He didn't look any different, just that his hair was longer, but so was hers, her bangs anyway. She brushed them out of her eyes and grinned. "Don't tell me you doubted I wouldn't make it." She said. He blinked a couple times to regain his senses. Hinari sported a new jacket, though it was more like a vest than a jacket. It was as long as her old one, but sleeveless and it had a hood.

"Well, for a second there, yeah." He replied. She laughed at him.

"Come on, I can run a mile in five minutes, I ran here straight from the Hyuuga manor, a walk in the park." It was true, she wasn't even breathing hard. Lee cleared his throat to get their attention.

"Now then, now that all participants are present, let the finals begin!" Lee looked at the two friends. "Names please."

"Uchiha Takuro."

"Uzumaki Hinari." Takuro stared at her. There was something about her tone that was different. She sounded confident, that was no surprise, but there was something else. Was it pride? He couldn't be certain.

"Good, let's get this started. Begin!" Lee moved out of the way. For a moment the atmosphere was tense. In unison, Takuro and Hinari activated their respective doujutsu. They stared each other down, waiting for the other to move first.

"Ladies first." Takuro said.

"No, you can go first, age before beauty after all." Hinari responded.

"Very funny." Takuro chuckled. At least she still had a sense of humor.

In the stands Hideo was wondering why they weren't moving. "Why aren't they moving?" He asked.

"Because, whoever makes the first move might win or screw up and lose. They are aware of this, that's why they haven't started yet." Hikari replied. "They can read each other's movements. This battle is about strategy as much as strength. Takuro was the upper hand in muscle mass, Hinari has a light build. And she's fast."

"So is Takuro." Sasuke threw in. "We spent the month increasing his speed."

"Is it enough to keep up with Hinari though? That's the real question. Her speed had also improved in the last month." Hikaru said.

"Hurry up already!" A civilian called from the back.

Down below, Takuro made the first move. He charged in towards Hinari. The crowd gasped, he was fast. Takuro tried a kick to her head. He'd thought he made contact but frowned when Hinari grabbed his ankle. Everyone in the crowd gasped. For genin, their speed was incredible. Murmurs began to flow through the crowd as they watched the match continue to unfold.

"Too slow, Takuro." Hinari muttered. Hinari pulled him closer and lashed out with a Jyuuken strike. Takuro somehow dodged the strike that was aimed for his chest by twisting his body around. Hinari threw him, and he slid on both feet, using one hand to slow his movements. Hinari was coming now, she landed a blow on his arm and he winced from the discomfort. Hinari crouched low and sprang with a kunai in her hand, slashing at him. Takuro dodged and ducked. He leapt back, drew a kunai and threw it at her. Hinari grabbed the projectile and threw it back. Takuro blocked it with another kunai. Hinari drew her own and they leapt at each other. They met in mid-air; the clash of metal on metal rang through the arena. "Come on Takuro, I know you can do a lot better than this." Hinari managed to hit his arm again, then grabbing it while he was distracted; she threw him to the ground, as hard as she could. The impact kicked up dust, obscuring the crowd's view of Takuro.

Takuro hit the ground with a grunt. He stood up in time to dodged Hinari's leg drop. Takuro pulled out his wires and attached it to a few kunai. He threw them, using his Sharingan to control the path of the wires. As there was nothing to tie Hinari to, the kunai wrapped around her once, loosely, and as they were coming in to impale her, she formed a cross shaped seal. Then, another set of seals. The kunai punctured through, but Hinari disappeared in a puff of smoke. 'Kawarimi?' Takuro looked around for her.

"Down here!" Hinari's foot came up to hit him in the chin.

In the stands, Hideo subconsciously rubbed his chin; he was the first to fall victim to that maneuver. Apparently, she favored it.

Hinari dodged a small volley of shuriken and charged in at him. Takuro flashed through seals that were very familiar to her. 'Katon: Goukakyuu no Jutsu!' Hinari leapt high into the air, using chakra to send her higher. The technique missed, and she came down on Takuro while he was still finishing off the technique. Hinari turned while still in the air so that she was falling head first. As she came closer to him, he automatically held out his arms to catch her. Hinari took advantage of this and grabbed him by the arms; yanking him downwards she kneed him in the stomach.

"Incredible! I never thought Uzumaki could be so good." A chuunin muttered behind Neji.

"Well, she is his daughter after all, what do you expect from the daughter of the Number One Most Surprising Ninja of Konoha?" He asked him.

Somehow, the two ended up grappling against each other, straining to get the upper hand. Takuro had the advantage in over all strength, but Hinari was persistent. Takuro knocked Hinari's feet from under her and she went down. Takuro pinned her down easily; he drove a kunai into her shoulder. "Where's Akagane, he's not biting me to get off." He asked her.

"He's with family; he'll come when I call." Hinari replied, kicking him off of her. Hinari was now breathing heavily from the exertion. She pulled the kunai from her shoulder. It wasn't bleeding too badly. So far, Takuro hadn't been too lucky against her. Was he holding back? She couldn't be sure. If he was, then why would he? He said he wouldn't after all.

'Why the hell am I still holding back? It's not like I'll kill her, or break her permanently! Then why?' Takuro mentally berated himself. He remembered what his mother had said a month ago. 'Dammit! Why would my emotions get in the way now?' It was distracting him, and gave Hinari time to land more blows on him.

"Kage Bunshin no Jutsu!" Twenty replications of Hinari surrounded Takuro. He couldn't differentiate between them and the real one.

"Come on Takuro, you said you wouldn't hold back, and yet, you've failed to land a single real hit on me!" Then, they all rushed him. Five came in low and kicked him into the air. Five more kicked and punched him up into the air further. Then, the next six threw him around the ring. Each time one of the six kicked him, he managed to counter and get rid of the clone. But he was descending to the earth quickly. There were four clones, plus Hinari left. Three threw him into the air, while the fourth one gave Hinari a boost. She came up level with him and began to hit him, alternating between Jyuuken and normal taijutsu. As Hinari sent him spinning up a bit, Takuro grabbed hold of Hinari's ankles, wrapped his legs around her waist and drove her head first into the ground.

"How was that Hinari?" He asked as he stood up, he massaged his bruised ribs. There, he hadn't held back an ounce of strength in that attack. Hinari groaned and got to her feet, somehow. She rubbed her head where she could feel a bump forming. Takuro was more tired than she was. Takuro took a step back, ready for her. Hinari fell into her Jyuuken stance and smiled.

"I'm going to end this match now Takuro, I hope you're ready for it." Hinari slipped into a new stance, she was very low to the ground, her stance wide.

'Such a low center, what's she thinking? She's a lot easier to read now.' Takuro readied himself to counter. He could already see her next move. Hinari's arm were stretched out, she twisted slightly and leapt into the air, performing all sorts of acrobatic skills.

"Quite the acrobat." Sakura murmured.

"Hinari is extremely flexible. It's why she can dodge some of the most difficult of strikes." Hanabi said.

Hinari was descending towards Takuro quickly. As she got close enough, he countered her moves. She tried a strike to the shoulder. Takuro knocked her hand away. Her other hand came in, aimed for his neck. He grabbed her by the wrist and twisted. Hinari came to the ground, but as she completed a rotation, her braid managed to whip across his face and he felt something break through his skin. He winced and released her.

'What the heck is in her hair?' He thought.

'Cool, those spikes nicked him, I wonder what it could do if I channeled chakra into it.' Hinari paused to think. Hinari fell back into her stance. "I'm surprised you were able to counter my version of the Hakke Rokujuuyon Shou. But you won't be so lucky this time." Hinari adjusted the placement of her feet and ran at him, she leapt high into the air and came down again, even faster than before. Before Takuro could try to block, Hinari channeled some chakra into her braid and it wrapped itself around his neck to hold him still. Hinari struck him again and again. Hinari's braid fell over her shoulder and Takuro fell to the ground. "I win." She said with a giggle.

"Winner, Uzumaki Hinari!" Lee announced. Takuro couldn't lift himself up; he had no energy to move. But he didn't have to. Hinari was vaguely aware of the cheering from the stands.

"Sorry I couldn't have given you a better fight." He said.

"That's okay, but next time, you won't hold back, I'll make sure of it." She told him with a smile.

"Hinari, you said it was your dream to be respected, to be recognized. You have my respect, and you have the villagers' recognition, look." Takuro nodded towards the stands. This was when Hinari was completely aware of the cheering, the whistles, and of course the applause that sounded like thunder. She looked up and caught the eyes of Hikaru and Neji, they'd trained her diligently. And then she looked at her sister, her bright blonde hair standing out in the crowd. She gave them a thumbs up.

"So this is his younger daughter." Gaara commented. For an early October day, it was very hot, so he'd removed his hat. His bright red hair stood out clearly in contrast to almost every one else's dark hair.

"Yes, she's something isn't she?" Konohamaru asked.

"She really does look like them." Gaara said. Gaara's wife, who was also a member of his personal guard agreed.

"She has her father's energy." She said. Gaara agreed. Hinari was jumping up and down in delight. She was also laughing.

"Hey, Hinari, how long does this last?" Takuro asked her, as he managed to push himself up into a sitting position.

"Not too long, I don't think. You won't miss a whole lot. Once you've recovered enough to move you can sit with your parents watch me kick everyone's butt!" Hinari said.

"Yeah, good luck, I hope you win." Hinari sat down next to him.

"You don't look too comfortable." She said. "Oh, the medics are finally coming." She said. "Hope I didn't hurt you too much." She tugged on a lock of his bangs slightly. "Your hair sure got long in a month." She commented.

"Mom keeps telling me to cut it."

"Thanks for returning my necklace." She said as he was lifted onto the stretcher. Takuro was lifted onto a stretcher and the medics forced him to lie down.

"No problem." Takuro managed to give her a slight wave. Hinari smiled as he was carried off. She made her way up to the observation area for the participants. She stood next to Tsubaki, who didn't look any different.

"Hey Hinari, how have you been?"

"Good, you?"

"I've got a couple new tricks up my sleeve. But you won't see 'em until my match." Tsubaki gave her a sly grin.

"Okay, I hope Takuro's okay, I really didn't think I'd pull off that move. Uncle Neji taught it to me last minute, but I altered it a little to fit my tastes." Hinari said.

"Neji? As in the guy that watched over the first exam?"

"Yeah."

"He's your uncle?"

"No, he's my second cousin, I just call him that. He doesn't mind." Hinari said.

"I see."

"But, Takuro seemed distracted by something; it was like he wasn't all there. I think he was still holding back on me. He said he wouldn't." Hinari said.

"Maybe he has a lot on his mind right now." Hinari and Tsubaki lapsed into silence as they watched the next match. It was Tamika versus the boy from Oto, Isao. It was no contest. Tamika had him under her thumb with ease. He'd made it this far mostly because his opponent from the prelims was injured to begin with. Isao shattered his own ribcage with his supersonic punch. Tamika came back up. Hiro and the only Kumo-nin went down. Yoshida, the Kumo-nin was swarmed by Hiro's Kikaichuu. This match wasn't all that exciting to watch.

It was the next match that was exciting. Everyone knew that Yasha had been the only one to kill his opponent in the prelims. Gaara wasn't too happy about it.

"I told him not to kill unnecessarily." He muttered.

"In his defense, he gave the girl fair warning, first." Konohamaru said. Gaara remained silent.

Yasha let the sand spill from his gourd. His opponent was Kirimaru, from Kiri. Sure the boy was capable of manipulating water, but he couldn't due to the location. There was no water to manipulate. The sand raced towards him. Yasha motioned with his hands to strike. The sand wrapped itself around Kirimaru. Slowly, it pressed down on his body, crushing it. Kirimaru cried out in pain, and Yasha released him. Kirimaru gasped for air as he crawled on the ground.

Suddenly, sand shot up from beneath him, knocking him high into the air. More pinnacles of sand came up, pushing him higher and higher. Finally, one pinnacle came from above and shoved him to the ground. Kirimaru coughed up blood as he stood up. As Kirimaru managed to stand, a cloud of sand hovered above his head.

"Suna Shigure." Yasha muttered. The sand fell upon Kirimaru in a relentless shower, grating against his skin. He'd been stupidly looking up at it when the attack commenced, so there was sand in his eyes, or rather, he'd been blinded. Kirimaru cried out.

"I forfeit." He managed to gasp.

"Kirimaru forfeits stand down." Lee commanded. Yasha withdrew the sand back into the gourd as Kirimaru fell to the ground in pain. Kirimaru was carried off and Yasha returned.

"My turn." Tsubaki grinned and cracked her knuckles. "I'll take out that harpy's voice box and save us the agony of hearing it." She muttered as she headed down the steps. Yurumi wasn't too far behind her. Hinari hadn't noticed before, but Tsubaki had a new fan with her.

"She's got this match in the bag." Hinari muttered.

"Get ready to lose those pipes girly." Tsubaki threatened.

"We'll see about that," Yurumi replied. In truth, she was scared. Tsubaki hadn't shown off a whole lot of her abilities during the preliminaries, and she didn't have her fan with her then.

"Begin!" Lee was against the wall in a moment watching. Tsubaki drew her fan, waiting.

'Come on, use that annoying jutsu already.' Tsubaki waited patiently. Tsubaki leaned on the closed fan, waiting still. 'Not that it matters, the longer you put this off, the more in my favor it becomes.' She smiled. "What the hell are you waiting for? Are you scared?" Tsubaki asked. That was all it took. Yurumi began to form the seals. 'Bingo!' Tsubaki snapped her fan open and was ready to swing. The moment Yurumi opened her mouth she swung. "Ninpou: Kamaitachi no Jutsu!" The powerful wind easily reflected the sound waves back at Yurumi and then some. The wind also knocked the girl backwards.

Yurumi slowly stood up and threw a barrage of shuriken and kunai. Tsubaki swung the fan, blowing the projectiles back to Yurumi. She brought her arms up to protect her face, but didn't think about her torso. Several of the shuriken buried into her skin and she winced. Yurumi coughed up blood. She stood again and pulled out the shuriken.

"I'm not finished yet." She formed more seals, but more of them, a different technique.

"Oh no you don't." Tsubaki bit her thumb and wiped the blood that flowed onto her fan. "Kuchiyose: Kirikiri Mai!" In a puff of smoke, a weasel wielding a razor sharp sickle charged forward, using the winds the fan generated as a propeller. It came close to Yurumi and with incredible accuracy, it sliced her vocal chords. Yurumi was able to make no sound but gurgling. "Too easy." Tsubaki muttered. The weasel disappeared and Tsubaki leaned against her fan.

"Winner, Nara Tsubaki!" Lee cried out to the crowd.

"Temari has taught her daughter well." Gaara remarked. "Her mastery of wind techniques is impressive."

"A pity she lives here rather than Suna." Gaara's wife, Tsukimi said. "We could use talent like hers."

"When she gets older, she'll be under the service of both villages anyway." Konohamaru told them.

"True, very true." The woman muttered.

Tsubaki rejoined Hinari as Yurumi was being carried off. "The damage to her vocal chords isn't permanent, unfortunately, but that technique of hers won't be as strong." She said. Movement made her turn, Kanda and the other Kiri-nin made their way down the steps. "Let's see what Kanda can do." Tsubaki leaned forward to watch the match.


	17. Chapter 17: On to Round Two

Hinari

Chapter 17

Sakura Hanamoto

Kanda pulled the straps from his shoulders and his puppet lay limp on the ground, waiting for his chakra strings to bring it to life. Kazumi really couldn't too much; he couldn't use any Suiton techniques. The air was dry; there was no hope to drawing the moisture together for even a simple Suiton technique.

"Looks, like I'm starting this one off. Karasu! Kugutsu no Jutsu!" Kanda raised his arms and his fingers twitched in rapid succession. The puppet rose and flew at Kazumi. Kazumi was barely able to dodge the attack. Karasu turned and its mouth opened. The puppet fired a volley of kunai at Kazumi. Kazumi blocked the kunai and charged at Kanda. He threw a punch but missed. Kanda leapt back, already manipulating Karasu to strike from behind.

Before Kazumi could get away, Karasu's arms popped off its main body and blades appeared from the joints. Kazumi was stabbed through the back. He fell to the ground face first. Kanda was already walking away before Lee had even announced him as the winner. He rewrapped Karasu in the bandages and strapped the puppet to his back.

"Boring, why are so many of these matches still so boring? I hope round two is coming up soon. The prelims were more interesting than this!" Hideo yawned.

"Be patient. You're acting like a baby." Hikaru snapped. Though he had a point. The first round matches hadn't been all that exciting. Even Hinari's match wasn't so much of a nail biter.

Next up was Nobuo and Kouga. Kouga stretched his arms out and grinned. "Ready Kuromaru?" The dog barked. Kuromaru had gotten a little bigger in the last month, but it was nothing compared to Akagane's growth rate.

"Great, I'm up against dog-breath. This should be interesting." Nobuo drew a handful of senbon, ready to throw them.

"Let's go Kuromaru!" Kouga crouched down, forming seals. "Shikyaku no Jutsu!" Kouga lunged at Nobuo. Nobuo dodged and threw the senbon. He missed as Kouga was turning to tackle him. Before Nobuo could draw more senbon he was thrown across the arena. Kuromaru joined Kouga, standing by his side. Kouga popped a soldier pill into Kuromaru's mouth. "Juujin Bunshin no Jutsu!" Kuromaru transformed into Kouga, and they struck. "Gatsuuga!" Nobuo was thrown about from the impact.

'He's just a one trick pony, but those attacks pack a powerful punch. If I can just break the skin I can finish this.' Nobuo reached for more senbon. 'Looks like I'll have to pull them out sooner than I'd like to. I was hoping of saving them for the next round. But I guess it can't be helped.'

Kouga and Kuromaru halted their assault for a moment and gave Nobuo the chance that he needed. Throwing the senbon as hard as he could, they all missed his target, but one managed to scratch the side of Kouga's cheek. Kouga winced as his cheek stung.

"Is that all you got?" Nobuo did not respond. "Come on Kuromaru, let's finish this!" As Kouga charged forward he was struck by immense pain shooting up his limbs. He halted and fell to his knees. "What the hell?" He brought his hand up to the scratch on his cheek and sniffed the blood that came from it. "Poison?" Kouga tried to stand, but the effort was too painful. Kuromaru tried to attack on his own but was also struck by the poison laced senbon. He fell to the ground with a yelp of pain.

"This match is over! Winner is Nobuo!" Lee announced. The medics came running to get Kouga and Kuromaru treated before the poison spread any farther.

Sakura stood up and ran off to help. The medics that were in charge of the injured genin didn't have the skill to deal with poison. Takuro slipped into his mother's vacant seat and sighed.

"You were holding back." Sasuke said bluntly.

"I know. I hope she forgives me for it." Takuro glanced at Arashi. "Who's this?" Sasuke gave him a whack on the head.

"Show some respect to your elders." Takuro rubbed his head. His arms were bandaged from the damage he'd taken from Hinari's Jyuuken strikes. And there was a bandage on his cheek where Hinari's hair decoration had scratched him.

"Sorry. I'm Uchiha Takuro, what's your name?" He asked her. Arashi paused for a moment. No one was supposed to know that she was Hinari's sister.

"I'm Arashi; it's nice to meet you Takuro." She answered. As long as he didn't know her last name, she should be okay. Takuro realized that she must have Hyuuga blood with her eyes, but her hair certainly wasn't like any Hyuuga he knew. She was an even brighter blonde than Tsubaki was.

Down below, the final match of the first round was getting started. A reluctant Shikatarou against the only shinobi from Iwa.

"At least I'm not fighting a girl." Shikatarou muttered as he brushed his hair out of his face. "I should really start tying my hair back." He murmured to himself. His hair was long for a guy; it just barely brushed his shoulders. Shikatarou glanced up at the sun. "Well, the sun is on my side, for now anyway." He looked at the Iwa-nin and sighed. "Hurry up already! I'd like to get this over with." He said.

"If you're in such a hurry to lose, then I guess I'll give the guy what he wants." The Iwa-nin formed a set of seals. The earth shook beneath Shikatarou. He leapt back just in time for a pillar of earth to shoot up where his feet had been.

"That was too close." Shikatarou dodged another pillar just in time to get clipped by one from behind. Shikatarou hit the ground and rolled out of the way of another that was coming in to crush him. 'He certainly isn't going to give me time to think.' Shikatarou frowned. He drew several kunai and let the fly. The Iwa-nin, Kinji was distracted enough to stop his attack. This gave Shikatarou just enough time to come up with a plan. Shikatarou ran forward, but was careful to remain in the shadow of one of the pillars of earth. He threw several shuriken, another distraction. He got down close to the ground and flashed through a set of very familiar seals. Kinji saw the shadow racing towards him and leapt farther back. The shadow abruptly halted a few inches from Kinji's own shadow.

'That technique again! The same one he used against that Kumo girl.' Kinji drew a line in the dirt with his foot. "That technique, it's pretty handy. But too bad your range is limited." He commented. Shikatarou's shadow withdrew and he stood up.

'Damn, pretty observant, this one. What can I do? Pity I can't use those wind techniques like Tsubaki.' Shikatarou was looking about for a way to catch Kinji.

"That Iwa-nin won't be easy to beat." Shikamaru commented.

"He'll probably forfeit like you did." Temari added in.

"No, he got a bit of your competitive streak. At least he isn't so violent like Tsubaki can be."

"Tsubaki would have had this guy down already. She's smarter than Shikatarou is." Temari murmured. "Plus, she thinks a lot faster."

Kinji waited impatiently. Shikatarou was taking his time coming up with a plan. "Quit stalling already!" He called to Shikatarou."

"Will you shut up? I'm trying to think!" Shikatarou retorted. He stood up from his squatting position. 'He knows that the Kagemane can only reach so far, but with these damn pillars and the fact that the sun is behind me, I should be able to reach him if I try.' Shikatarou pulled out a kunai and ran at Kinji. Shikatarou ran through the seal, and as he came closer to Kinji, he slashed at him. Glancing down as Kinji moved away, their shadows came in contact with each other. Shikatarou smirked and moved away. Kinji tried to take a step forward but found that his muscles wouldn't respond.

"What?" Kinji looked down and saw that Shikatarou had caught him. "You're good, I'll give you that much, but I'm not done." Kinji forced his body to move, but Shikatarou had too tight a grip on it.

"You sure about that? You look like you could just give up now. I'll even help." Shikatarou raised his hand and Kinji did the same.

"I told you he'd forfeit!" Temari said, rubbing it in her husband's face.

"Wait for it," Was all Shikamaru could say.

"Well, come on already give up." Shikatarou said.

"Hell no!"

"Fine." Shikatarou formed a few seals. "Ninpou: Kage Kubi Shibari no Jutsu." His shadow snaked up Kinji's body and strangled him. Kinji fell and Shikatarou released him. "Why'd I even bother trying to win?" He muttered massaging his shoulder.

"The winner is Nara Shikatarou!" Lee announced.

"I told you, he's too competitive to just give up." Shikamaru smirked; it was his turn to rub it in his wife's face.

"Damn, looks like I owe you now. Both kids made it." Temari mumbled.

"Are you guys betting on your children?" Hikaru asked. Temari and Shikamaru looked at her. "That's sad." Sasuke leaned towards Takuro.

"Don't tell your mother." He muttered into his son's ear. Takuro nodded, his mother was very against gambling, whenever it was mentioned she start going on about a blonde woman who almost lost her inheritance from gambling.

"What? I bet Sasuke a nice sum of money that Hinari would win." Neji put in. Hikaru noticed that he was stuffing a rather thick wad of money into his pocket.

"You people make me sick." Hikaru said.

"Hey Hikaru, here's the money I owe you for our bet." Izumi said he handed her a wad of cash. Everyone stared at her.

"What?!" She demanded.

"What a hypocrite." Hideo murmured.

"What was that little brother?!" Hikaru shrieked.

"Nothing, nothing at all onee-sama." He said.

"Sure, 'onee-sama' my ass." Hikaru stuffed the money Izumi had given her into her pocket and crossed her arms over her chest in annoyance.

With round one over, that meant that Hinari was up again. Hinari glanced at Tamika, her next opponent, and then turned to Tsubaki. "Quick, tell me everything you know about Tamika." She said.

"A little late for that but, mostly, watch out for that technique she uses, if you can get in close, there's a possibility that you can be her at hand to hand, as long as you don't get caught in her technique." Tsubaki told her.

"Okay, thanks."

"Round two will now begin; the first match is between Uzumaki Hinari and Tamika!" Lee stated. Hinari and Tamika made their way back down to the arena. They came to the center, waiting for Lee's command to begin.

"You've gotten lucky so far, but this is where it runs out." Tamika told Hinari confidently. Hinari smiled.

"We'll see about that."

"Ready, begin!" Lee was out of the way in a second. Hinari activated her Byakugan and studied Tamika carefully. She could already see a gathering of chakra at Tamika's finger tips.

'Chakra strings. That technique is puppetry, but she uses living humans rather than actual puppets. This could get tricky.' Hinari waited for Tamika to move. Tamika raised her hands, ready to attach her chakra strings to Hinari. Hinari watched their progress, and then at the last second, she dodged. Hinair dodged Tamika's other hand and tossed a shuriken at the girl. Tamika caught it with her strings and let it drop to ground harmlessly. 'Shit, her control is perfect!'

Hinari's going to have a hard time against Tamika; she can't dodge the strings forever." Kankurou said.

"I'm sure Hinari has a trick up her sleeve for her." Neji told him.

"We'll see."

Hinari dodged the strings again and leapt into the air. "Kage Bunshin no Jutsu!" A couple of replications appeared by her side. The three charged at Tamika. As she expected, Tamika quickly attached her chakra strings to two of the Hinaris.

"Now, which one is the real one, I wonder?" Tamika's finger's twitched and the two Hinaris she had in her control drew a few shuriken and threw it at the third. The third Hinari dodged all three and smirked.

She charged Tamika. Tamika reacted quite predictably, using the two Hinaris to protect herself. The third Hinari delivered a powerful kick to one, dispelling it in a puff of smoke. Tamika retreated her remaining one and watched. Hinari threw a torrent of shuriken at the captive Hinari. The captive one blocked the shuriken.

"This is really annoying you know, we could drag this on for as long as we'd like." Hinari commented.

"Yes, we could." Tamika couldn't help but agree with her.

"That's why I'll finish this now!" Hinari formed a seal and Tamika could feel a growing amount of chakra in the replication. Before she could release it, the replication exploded. "Bunshin Daibakuha!" Tamika was knocked into the wall, unconscious. Hinari smirked. "I win, and that was way too easy." Hinari checked on Tamika, the girl had a few burns, but nothing serious. The medics appeared and carried her away. Hinari made her way back up to the observation area and sat down.

"You okay Hinari?" Tsubaki asked.

"Just a little tired. My normal reserves are starting to run low. I'm afraid I might have to use _that_ chakra for the next fight." Hinari told her.

"Well I guess it's a good thing, because I get the feeling that your next opponent will be Yasha." Tsubaki said.

"What about Hiro?"

"He's good, but I don't think he stands much of a chance again Yasha." Tsubaki commented. They watched the battle get under way.

Kankurou wasn't too happy that his daughter had lost. "Kanda had better beat Tsubaki!" He said.

"Not a chance, Tsubaki's way too smart for him to try and match her." Temari told her younger brother.

"Think what you want Temari, but Kanda will win." Kankurou said. Shikamaru sighed. Kankurou grew up with Temari and he still couldn't tell when she was right? He just shook his head.

Hiro raised his arms, the Kikaichuu spilling from his sleeves. "Mushi Kabe no Jutsu." A wall of Kikaichuu surrounded him, protecting him from the sand. But he didn't expect it to come up from beneath his feet. Hiro lost his control and the Kikaichuu scattered as he was wrapped in the strong grip of Yasha's chakra infused sand. Yasha raised his arm and the sand rose off the ground, taking Hiro with it. Hiro did not try to struggle; he knew there was no chance of escape. Hiro waited for Yasha to finish him, but instead, Yasha released him.

"You'd rather get out of this without much of an injury; I'll give you the chance to forfeit." Yasha said.

"That is quite unnecessary." Hiro said. He raised his arms again and the Kikaichuu that had previously scattered returned, swarming Yasha. They landed all over his body.

"Hmm, so it was a trap. I should have figured it out; after all, traps are what I do best." Yasha muttered. He waited for the Kikaichuu to finish whatever it was they were doing. He couldn't even feel them.

"It seems you did anticipate something." Hiro remarked when he saw that the Kikaichuu had failed to penetrate Yasha's skin.

"Suna no Yoroi." Yasha grinned. "I gave you fair warning." Yasha formed a seal and the sand wrapped around Hiro again. "Sabaku Kyuu." The sand crushed several of Hiro's bones and he collapsed. Lee rushed to the boy.

"The winner is Yasha!" He declared. The medics came running, Sakura with them. Hiro was gently placed on the stretcher and was carried off.

Yasha walked back up the stairs at a calm pace. He was feeling confident in his abilities, but he wondered about his next opponent. The girl with the blue eyes, his cousin's friend. It seemed to him that she hadn't shown off all of her skills just yet. Plus he was interested in that other chakra she'd tapped into during the preliminaries.

"Yasha gives me the creeps." Hinari suppressed a shudder.

"His father was always a little, different, I guess that's the word. It's not too much of a surprise that he's a little like him." Tsubaki said. "Well, it's my turn again." Tsubaki walked down the steps, Kanda just behind her. Yasha appeared and Hinari moved a little farther away from him, she was still sitting down, conserving as much of her normal energy as she could. She'd just have to use Kyuubi's chakra if she had to, though she had a feeling that she would need to.


	18. Chapter 18: Lots of Arguing

Hinari

Chapter 18

Sakura Hanamoto

"Hmm, tough match, who do you think will win?" Neji asked.

"Tsubaki"

"Kanda." Kankurou and Temari answered simultaneously. They glared at each other for a second, and then the shouting match began.

"Tsubaki!"

"Kanda!"

"Tsubaki!!"

"Kanda!!" The match continued for a while. Shikamaru clapped his hands over his ears to save them from going deaf. Finally he just got tired of it. He clamped his hand over Kankurou's mouth.

"If you let her keep going like this, I'll be the one to pay for it!" He hissed to Kankurou.

"Your fault for marrying her." Kankurou retorted.

"At least I didn't get her pregnant before we were even married!"

"What the hell is that supposed to mean?" Kankurou had stood up and several people were staring at him.

"What do you think?" Kankurou was about to respond when he was struck on the head with something heavy.

"Will you two shut up? There are impressionable minds around." Temari hefted her fan threateningly. Kankurou sat down and noticed that Hanabi was covering Hitomi's ears.

"Sorry." Shikamaru mumbled, rubbing his head. Kankurou was now muttering to himself.

"Some things never change, it seems." Gaara had watched the exchange between his siblings and brother-in-law and found it rather amusing. Konohamaru chuckled.

Kanda and Tsubaki had yet to make a single move so far. Mostly because the arguing had caught there attention, the yelling had been that loud.

"Adults sure are weird sometimes." Tsubaki remarked. Kanda nodded. Tsubaki leaned casually on her fan, waiting. "Come on already, we haven't got all day you know." Tsubaki said. "Quit stalling already." She taunted her cousin. "Or is little Kanda afraid of me?" Kanda glared at her.

"Tough talk coming from the bean sprout of the family." He retorted.

"We'll see who the bean sprout is when I finish with you." Tsubaki said calmly. Kanda pulled Karasu from its bindings.

"Kugutsu no Jutsu!" Karasu leapt at her, its joints creaking as it moved. Tsubaki raised her fan like a club and swung at the puppet. It maneuvered out of reach of her fan. The mouth snapped open, senbon flying from its mouth.

"Ninpou: Kamaitachi no Jutsu!" Tsubaki snapped her fan open and swung, the wind blew the senbon away from her. Before Kanda had time to react, Tsubaki was already swinging her fan again. The winds that were generated were infused with so much chakra that they sliced Kanda's chakra strings, making Karasu fall to the ground lifeless. Not only that, but cut Kanda's shirt to ribbons, even creating some nasty gashes on his chest, the wind that ripped behind him turned red with his blood. 'Whoa. That was incredible, but draining.' Tsubaki stared in awe at her own attack. Kanda tore off what was left of his shirt and allowed his wounds to bleed freely; there was nothing he could do about them anyway.

'I've never seen that before, did she just come up with that?' Kanda reattached his strings to Karasu and the puppet stood. The puppet charged at Tsubaki. Karasu raised its arms, the joints popping open at the elbow, three kunai from each arm sailed at Tsubaki. Tsubaki batted them away with her fan.

'I need to conserve my chakra, and end this quickly.' Tsubaki swung at Karasu, the steel fan, but missed again. Tsubaki retreated, entering the shadow of the arena wall. 'Think Tsubaki, there's got to be something that can penetrate that puppet!' She crouched on the ground and closed her eyes to concentrate.

'What the hell is she thinking? This is a battle situation; this is no time to be taking a nap!' Kanda grinned. Tugging on the strings and wiggled his fingers in a fast pattern. Karasu was coming at Tsubaki again. The fingers popped open and fired a hail of senbon. Tsubaki's eyes snapped open and she dodged out of the way.

"DO YOU MIND? I'M TRYING TO THINK HERE! DO YOU KNOW HOW RUDE IT IS TO INTERRUPT SOMEONE WHEN THEY'RE THINKING?!" Tsubaki yelled angrily.

'Crap, I pissed her off, this won't be pretty.' Kanda ignored the sting of his injuries and had Karasu back off.

"He made her mad, Kanda's in trouble." Temari laughed.

"What does that mean?" Kankurou asked his older sister.

"It means that Kanda will be in the most exquisite pain within the next five minutes. When Tsubaki gets mad, she takes her anger out on the nearest person, which happens to be him." Temari explained.

"Guess where she got it from." Shikamaru muttered. His finger tapped a continuous beat on the arm of his chair. Temari noticed and nodded. Shikamaru stood up and left, already reaching for a cigarette.

"Maybe I should just let him smoke whenever he wants." She murmured to herself.

Tsubaki opened her eyes, but remained in her crouched position. She grinned and ran through a set of seals quickly. "Kage Nui no Jutsu!" Her shadow broke off into several tendrils and snakes towards Kanda. He leapt back, taking Karasu with him. He didn't recognize the name of the technique but wasn't going to take any chances. The tendrils rose off the ground and speared through Karasu, striking it in the joints, causing the puppet to collapse into several different pieces.

The shadow kept coming at him. Before Kanda could move, they pierced through his left shoulder and through his forearm and calf. He barely managed to stay standing. He watched at Tsubaki stood up and charged. He watched as she came closer, her leg swung forward and kicked him. He cried out and collapsed, face first into the dirt.

"My grandchildren!" Kankurou cried. Temari laughed at him. "Is that even legal?" He asked. Many of the men in the crowd groaned in sympathy for the boy.

"Of course it is, she just can't kill him." Temari replied.

Kanda was able to lift his head and one of his hands. His fingers twitched quickly and one of Karasu's pieces rose up, a blade popping out, it flew at Tsubaki who blocked it with her fan again.

"Give up; your injuries will only get worse." She told him in a low whisper. Kanda didn't want to give up, but he really didn't have much of a choice in the matter anyway.

"I forfeit." He said. Lee announced it to the audience. A pair of medics carried Kanda away, and a third gathered the broken puppet into a bag and took it with him. Tsubaki wiped some sweat from her brow and walked back up to the observation area. She sat down next to Hinari and fanned her face with her hand.

"I'm getting tired; I hope my next opponent won't give me such a hard time." She said. "How about you?" She asked.

"I've managed to restore some of my chakra, but at this rate, I'll still have to resort to the other one. Especially since my next opponent is Yasha." She said. Tsubaki smiled slightly.

"Well, I hope my brother wins, I've been dying to go head-to-head with him. Whipping him in shogi and go lost its appeal a while ago." Tsubaki said.

"That should be interesting." Hinari remarked.

"I told you Tsubaki would win!" Temari said, gloating. Kankurou sighed in annoyance. Shikamaru returned and sat down. He reached into his pocket and popped a piece of gum into his mouth.

"Who won?" He asked.

"Tsubaki did." Temari answered. "Put a second one in your mouth, you smell like an ash tray." She said.

"Can't, that was the last piece." Shikamaru told her. "And here I thought you were used to it by now."

"I'll never get used to it." Temari told him. They turned their attention to the arena as their son was getting ready. He looked even less reluctant to do this than he had before.

"Jeez, this is annoying." Shikatarou sighed. His opponent, Nobuo looked ready to go. "Maybe I should just forfeit now and save myself the trouble." He muttered. "But then Tsubaki will get mad at me, I'd rather not have that. That disposition of hers freaks me out." Shikatarou sat down.

"What the hell are you sitting down for? You can't beat me that way." Nobuo said.

"Sure I can, if I really wanted to. But, it's not as fun that way; I guess I can give you a bit of excitement before I win." Shikatarou stood up and stretched his arms out until he heard them pop from the strain.

'Can't let him use those weird shadow techniques. It seems like that's all he knows how to do. He doesn't look too strong either.' Nobuo thought as he watched Shikatarou stretch.

"Bad news for that Kusa guy." Tsubaki said.

"Why's that?" Hinari asked.

"When 'nii-chan stretches like that, it means that he plans on using nothing but taijutsu. And he's a lot stronger than he looks. His muscles don't bulge or anything, but he was that chorded muscle, where it looks like small muscle, makes him look weak, but he's a lot stronger. You remember when he beat that girl in the prelims right?" Hinari nodded. "He was able to kick her hard enough to hit the wall because he's that strong." Tsubaki explained.

"Wow, I never would have thought." Hinari watched Shikatarou finish stretching and crouched into a basic taijutsu stance.

"I hope you're prepared." Shikatarou said.

"Of course." Nobuo drew his senbon. Shikatarou took a deep breath and charged. Nobuo threw the senbon but Shikatarou dodged. He came in low, punching Nobuo in the stomach and twisted. Nobuo cough as the wind was knocked out of him; Shikatarou picked him up easily and threw him across the arena. 'When did he get so strong?' Nobuo stood up and reached for the poisoned senbon. He threw them, but they fell short. Nobuo got his breath back and waited for Shikatarou to move again. Shikatarou brushed his hair out of his face and charged again. This time, he went for a drop kick, once again knocking the wind out of Nobuo. He heard a few of his ribs crack. He rolled across the ground and lay still. Slowly, he pushed himself up, wincing as he felt his ribs protest.

"I wouldn't move if I were you. You might puncture a lung." Shikatarou told him.

"Well, you're not me, so shut up." Nobuo forced himself to stand up.

"If that's how you want it, fine by me." Shikatarou got behind Nobuo and struck him in the back of the neck. Nobuo was knocked out and fell to the ground. Nobuo was carried off while Shikatarou massaged his shoulder and cracked his neck.

"All right, I'm up against Shikatarou!" Tsubaki seemed elated over the prospect of fighting her older brother. "Good luck Hinari!" Hinari sighed and made her way down the steps, Yasha not too far behind.

'He uses sand as a weapon, if I can penetrate his defenses, I shouldn't have too much difficulty taking him down with Jyuuken.' Hinari thought as she cracked her knuckles.

"I wonder who'll win this match." Hikaru said.

"Yeah, that Yasha guy was pretty scary; can Hinari stay ahead of his sand?" Hideo remarked.

"We'll just have to wait and see." Hanabi said.

"I just hope Hinari doesn't end up in the hospital again." Takuro added. They watched as the match began to unfold.


	19. Chapter 19: End of the Chuunin Exam

Hinari

Chapter 19

Sakura Hanamoto

Yasha crossed his arms over his chest and examined Hinari closely. She was of a slight build, extremely thin, but he could tell that she was built for speed. 'She's practically tooth pick; she doesn't look like the obsessive over weight type of kunoichi.' He thought. 'Wonder why that is.'

'This'll be interesting, wonder how well he does in close quarters combat.' Hinari put her hands on her hips. Activating her Byakugan she looked inside his gourd. It was filled almost to the brim with chakra infused sand. Lee glanced between the two, so far it seemed that these two held the most promise of becoming Chuunin, he wondered who would come out on top.

"Begin!" Yasha was going already, sand spilled from his gourd, running along the ground, snaking its way towards Hinari. Hinari watched the sand's progress, and jumped back as it came up to strike her. Hinari moved farther back, Yasha already reacting to her movements. His arm shot out and the sand lunged at Hinari to crush her body. Hinari dodged again throwing a couple of shuriken to test his reaction time. A shield of sand came up and stopped the shuriken.

'Fast reaction time, fast enough to catch a projectile anyway.' Hinari spun on her heel and performed a back handspring to dodge a pillar of sand that had come up behind her. Hinari moved out of range and knelt on the ground. 'Looks like I'll have to use all of my speed for this fight.' Hinari removed her sandals and wiggled her toes. She also discarded her jacket.

"Why is she taking her sandals off?" Takuro asked.

"Her sandals slow her down. Same thing with her jacket. Without them, she's got more freedom of movement. The real battle is about to begin." Hikaru said with a smile.

Hinari waited for more sand to come at her. It came closer and closer. At the last possible second she jumped up and ran on top of the stream of sand. Before the sand could scatter she was already in front of Yasha. She lashed out with a Jyuuken strike to the chest. Once she made contact she retreated. Yasha winced.

"How did you do that?"

"Jyuuken. It pumps my chakra into your coils and disrupts the flow of it." Hinari explained. Yasha frowned. Hinari wasn't going to go down without a fight. Yasha sent all of his sand at her, hoping it would hit her, but Hinari was already out of the way, her eyes never left Yasha the entire time. More sand came at her from every direction. Hinari formed a crossed shaped seal. "Tajuu Kage Bunshin no Jutsu!" An incredible large amount of replications filled the arena.

"It makes no difference how many of you there are." Yasha formed a set of seals and pressed his palms to the ground. "Ryuusa Bakuryuu!" All of his sand rose up behind him and fell in a massive cascade. The crushing sand spilled toward the replications. The arena was filled with smoke as all the replications disappeared. A breeze blew is away leaving Yasha standing on his sand. He grinned. 'She's not as good as I thought.' He thought. Then the air before him wavered and Hinari appeared. His eyes widened in surprise. She was standing on the sand, a grin on her face.

"That's quite a technique you've got there Yasha. But I expect that it takes up a good portion of your chakra, and you've gotten this far, you're probably feeling very drained by now." It was true; Yasha was sweating heavily, while Hinari didn't seem troubled at all by chakra depletion.

"What are you?" He asked.

"Well that depends on who you're asking. Several would call me a demon, demon spawn, demon bitch, the list goes on. But to others, I'm just plain old Uzumaki Hinari." She replied. That hadn't really answered his question, not that he really cared anymore. He just wanted to beat her. Yasha raised both arms and the sand beneath Hinari became a whirlpool that began to suck her in. Hinari pulled loose and leapt high in the air. She landed in one of the trees that grew in the arena. 'Got lucky with that illusion my friends taught me. It's useful.' She thought. Sand snaked up the tree and almost caught her by the ankle. Hinari jumped and landed on top of the sand again.

"You're a very interesting person Hinari-san. No one has ever lasted this long before." Yasha said.

"I'm not just anyone. But at this rate, I'll have to do something I'd rather not do, so, I'll finish you now." Hinari bit her thumb and waited for the blood to flow. She spread it across the palm of her other hand and formed a set of seals. "Kuchiyose no Jutsu!" In a blast of smoke, six young foxes appeared around Hinari. One of them, the smallest, rested on her shoulder. "I'd like to introduce my siblings, the Fox Sibs." Hinari said.

"So what's the plan Hinari?" The largest one asked.

"Well Kai, I need you guys to get past his defenses and distract him long enough to get in and finish him off." Hinari explained to them.

"Got it. Ready guys?" Akagane asked. Though he was the youngest, he seemed to be the leader among them. The six foxes charged forward while Hinari knelt on the ground and formed another set of seals.

The six darted about, utilizing a basic illusion to distract Yasha. He tried catching them, but the illusion not only made them disappear, but somehow, intangible.

"Kitsune Style Taijutsu!" Yasha looked up to see Hinari down on all fours, a small amount of red chakra swirled around her body, her nails grew longer, and her pupils turned to slits.

"Now that is quite impressive, she can use the Kyuubi's chakra so well, her father could never have done better." Konohamaru said.

"Yasha, I observed your sand carefully. You have good reaction time, and because of that your sand reacts just as fast. But, you can barely keep up with me, so that makes things difficult for you, because, your sand can only react once you have." Hinari crouched for a second then charged.

"No way! She's so fast!" Takuro stared in awe. "Don't tell me, she was holding back until now."

Hinari punched Yasha and his face cracked. "Smart, armor of sand in case of emergency." Hinari was at him again, this time using her long fingernails. She slashed at his chest and the strap that held the gourd to his back broke and it fell to the ground. Hinari retreated with the siblings. She winced. 'Shit. I can't hold this form much longer or else I'll lose control.' Hinari moved quickly, she grabbed Yasha and punched him again, sending him flying across the arena. Hinari was on him in a second, her fingernails pressed lightly to his throat. Yasha stared in surprise, breathing heavily.

"Winner Uzumaki Hinari!" Lee proclaimed. Hinari let go of him and stood up straight. She stretched her arms and Kyuubi's chakra stopped flowing through her. Yasha lay on the ground, still stunned.

"I lost," He whispered.

"Don't tell me you've never lost before." Hinari said.

"I never have, you're the first to ever beat me." Yasha told her.

"Here's a bit of advice, learn from your mistakes. If you lose this time, you might win the next. Figure out what you did wrong, and do it right the next time." Hinari extended her hand to him and she helped Yasha to his feet. "You put up a great fight Yasha." She said smiling.

"Yeah, you too." Yasha shook her hand. He retrieved his gourd and picked it up. The sand flowed back into it, and he carried it away with him. Hinari made her way back up to the observation area for the last time while Yasha went to go bandage up his chest, Hinari's nails had managed to break through the armor and scratched him on the chest. She passed by Tsubaki and Shikatarou and continued on her way.

Tsubaki and Shikatarou faced each other. Shikatarou wasn't too happy about going up against his little sister. 'I'm sick of this.' He raised his hand. Lee looked at him.

"I want to forfeit. I'm sick of this, and frankly, I don't care if I become a Chuunin or not." He said.

"Okay then." Lee was mildly surprise.

"Shika-'nii-chan! I was looking forward to fighting you!" Tsubaki cried.

"Sorry, but I'm on my last leg of chakra." He told her.

"Nara Shikatarou has forfeited, Nara Tsubaki is the automatic winner!" Lee announced.

"It seems that our son has some of your laziness." Temari said.

"I'm surprised he didn't forfeit his last match." Shikamaru remarked.

"It looks like it's down to me and Hinari." Tsubaki looked up at the observation area, but didn't see Hinari. "Where is she?" She asked. After a few minutes, Hinari still didn't show up.

"Something's wrong, she's taking too long." Takuro stood up and rushed off to find her. He ran towards the stairs and ground to a halt halfway down. "Hinari!" She was lying on the ground unconscious. He ran to her and picked her up. Hinari had a pained expression on her face. Takuro lifted her carefully and ran for the medic room. He burst through the door.

"Takuro?" Sakura turned in surprise.

"It's Hinari." Takuro stepped toward his mother and placed Hinari down on a cot. Sakura examined Hinari and gasped when she checked on the seal. "What is it?"

"Kyuubi's chakra is still leaking into her system."

"Doesn't is always?" Takuro asked.

"Yes, but this is in greater quantities, and it's poisoning her."

The crowed began to mutter, Hinari still hadn't shown up. Konohamaru was worried. Tenten appeared at his side.

"Uzumaki Hinari has collapsed." She reported. "Sakura is taking a look at her now." Tenten finished her report and went to inform Lee. Tsubaki's eyes widened in surprise.

"Uzumaki Hinari is unable to fight; the final match goes to Nara Tsubaki!" Lee cried out. Tsubaki rushed for the medic room and found Takuro pacing.

"What happened?"

"Kyuubi's chakra is poisoning her. If it doesn't stop she'll die." Takuro told her.

"What?"

"Hinari was able to stably utilize the Kyuubi's chakra in a concentrated form for that taijutsu she used, but because of it, her body has lost the ability to control the amount of chakra that enters her system. Normally, a very small amount mixes with her normal chakra. Think of it as a dam, and Hinari's will is the gate that controls of flow of 'water'. When Hinari becomes enraged or is driven by an intense emotion, her control slips, like how a flood gate might malfunction and allow more water to flow than it's supposed to. When she loses her control, her normal chakra is overwhelmed by Kyuubi's chakra, so any chakra that comes from her body will be red, rather than blue, and there are large quantities of it."

"So if the flood gate has too much strain on it, it will burst and water will rush through unless it is fixed." Tsubaki finished.

"Exactly." Sakura's hands glowed green with chakra as it passed over Hinari's body and hovered over her abdomen where the seal was located. "If you can hear me Kyuubi, pull back your chakra or she'll die." She said. After a moment nothing seemed to happen, and then, Hinari moaned and her facial expression became calmer. Tsubaki and Takuro breathed a sigh of relief. "Crisis averted." Sakura told them. Konohamaru and Gaara came through the door.

"What's going on Sakura?" Konohamaru asked.

"Everything is fine now Hokage-sama. Now, I'll explain everything outside and leave Hinari alone to rest." Tsubaki and Takuro left before the adults did. Takuro was carrying Hinari's jacket and sandals.

"Do you think she'll be okay?" Tsubaki asked.

"I'm sure she'll be fine." Takuro replied. "She's come out of just about everything okay so far. I don't think we need to worry so much."

"I hope so." Tsubaki had been so worried about Hinari that she hadn't even waited to hear if she'd been promoted or not.

XxXxXxX

It turned out that none of the participants had been promoted, for reasons unknown to any of them. Hinari had been taken to the hospital for the night and was discharged the next day after Sakura checked up on her. So now the three along with Hikaru were out celebrating their success at the exam, Konoha was receiving more and more mission requests now.

"There's always next time, right?" Hinari asked.

"Yeah, next time we'll all get promoted." Takuro said.

"Are you guys going to the festival Thursday night?" Tsubaki asked.

"Festival? You mean the one honoring the Rokudaime's birthday?" Takuro asked.

"Yeah."

"I'm going; my parents go every year since they were his teammate's way back when." Takuro said. "How about you Hinari, he is your father after all."

"No, I don't normally go to any of the festivals." She answered, mixing her ramen around and not looking at them.

"Why not?" Tsubaki asked.

"No reason, I just never bothered to go. I'll just visit the Memorial and pray and stay home for the rest of the day." Hinari said.

"Come on Hinari, come with us." Tsubaki said.

"Its fine, I don't mind just staying at home." Hinari insisted. 'I'd rather not get beaten up like last time.' She thought sadly.

"If you say so then." Takuro said standing. "See you guys later, I gotta pick up Satoko from the Academy." He walked off after giving them a wave. Hinari got up as well.

"Bye Tsubaki, Hikaru-sensei." Hinari hurried off to go see Arashi. 'I wonder what she'll say about tomorrow, I'm sure she was permitted to attend the festival.' Hinari thought.

XxXxXxX

"You wanted to see us Hokage-sama?" Takuro asked, he wondered why only he and Tsubaki were present; it seemed that Hinari had not been summoned.

"Yes, as you know, tomorrow is the festival honoring Hinari's father's birthday." Konohamaru said. "And I'm certain that you're aware of the fact that Hinari has never been able to attend."

"We figured as much sir." Tsubaki said.

"Well, it's about time that changed. Both of you will spend the day with Hinari tomorrow, and serve as her escorts during the festival. If any villager attempts to chase her away, you are to step in. Understand?"

"Yes sir." The replied.

"Good, make sure she comes tomorrow night, I don't care what her excuse is. You can go ahead and tell her if you want. You're dismissed." Tsubaki and Takuro bowed to him.

"I'll go to her house and tell her, I can help her figure out what she can wear tomorrow too." Tsubaki said.

"Okay, I'll see you tomorrow then." They parted ways, Tsubaki headed towards Hinari's apartment, Takuro going home.


	20. Chapter 20: Festival Fun

Hinari

Chapter 20

Sakura Hanamoto

"Would you hurry it up Hinari? We don't have all day you know!" Tsubaki grabbed Hinari by the arm and dragged her along

"I never said I wanted to come Tsubaki." Hinari protested weakly.

"Oh look, there's Takuro, I'm surprised the fangirls haven't found him yet." Tsubaki said. Hinari looked up, and then looked away. It was odd seeing Takuro dressed in civilian clothing. He wore a white t-shirt and a pair of black pants, and his bangs kept falling into his eyes since his forehead protector wasn't there to keep them out of his face.

"Hey guys, nice of you to show up Hinari." Takuro said.

"It was not of my own free will." She responded. Takuro chuckled.

"Come one you two, let's have some fun already!" Tsubaki called to them. She bought them some food to eat. Hinari nervously tugged at the hem of her shirt.

"Don't worry about money Hinari, everything's on us tonight." Takuro told her.

"Are you sure?" Hinair asked.

"Definitely. We know that a good portion of your money goes to paying your rent, there's no sense in you losing your apartment for anything that you want tonight." Tsubaki said.

"Okay." Hinari let herself relax a bit, but the feeling of being stared at was making her uncomfortable. "I feel unwelcome." She murmured. Takuro heard and looked up at the villagers that were glaring at her. He took her hand and stood between them and her and glared back. Tsubaki did the same. For the moment, the older villagers looked away, no doubt waiting for the heir to the Uchiha clan to walk away. Tsubaki held less power, being the youngest member of the Nara clan, though the Nara clan had become more prominent in the past fifteen years. 'Maybe I should have just stayed home.' Hinari thought. Sensing her hesitation Takuro spoke up.

"Don't worry Hinari; we won't let them come near you." Takuro told her. Hinari nodded. Takuro's grip on her hand tightened and they ran to a game booth. Takuro handed money to the man running the booth and picked up the rubber stress balls that were sitting on the counter. He easily struck the targets and won the largest prize. Tsubaki tried her hand at it, but her aim wasn't as accurate.

"Do you want to play Hinari?" Tsubaki asked.

"Okay." Takuro paid for Hinari's game.

"Sorry, but she can't play." The man said.

"Why not?"

"Her presence disrespects the Rokudaime." Tsubaki growled, she reached for a fan that wasn't there, but contented herself by picking one of the balls and pelting it at his face.

"She has just as much right as anyone else!"

"Tsubaki!" Takuro grabbed Tsubaki by the wrist to stop her from throwing another one at the man. "Let's go." He dragged Tsubaki away, careful to avoid being punched. Takuro handed the large teddy bear to Hinari while he got Tsubaki to calm down.

"Did Moyashi-chan lose her temper again?" They looked up to see a tall boy in his late teens standing over them.

"Who're you?" Takuro asked.

"Yuuhi Asuma. By the looks of things, Moyashi-chan did lose her temper." He ruffled Tsubaki's loose hair.

"Don't call me that."

"Sure thing Moyashi-chan." Tsubaki stamped on his foot. He winced.

"I'll get you for that!" Asuma chuckled and ducked away from them.

"See you later!" He called back as Tsubaki chased him around the village.

"They have an interesting relationship." Hinari muttered. Takuro nodded.

"What do you want to do next?" Takuro asked her. Hinari shrugged. She'd never been to a festival before so she didn't know what to do. Takuro looked about, but was assaulted by something dressed in pink.

"Onii-chan!" Takuro pulled Satoko off of his neck before she strangled him. He studied his sister carefully.

"Hinari?"

"What is it?"

"Run."

"Why?"

"S-Sugar rush!" Takuro put his sister on the ground and grabbed Hinari's hand, running off as quickly as possible. They ran a good distance from Satoko.

"What was that about?"

"You don't want to know." Takuro leaned against a stand.

"I don't think Tsubaki will be able to find us." Hinari remarked. Takuro looked around. They seemed to have drifted away from the main part of the village into the slums.

"I see your point." Takuro sighed. "Now what?" Hinari shivered and rubbed her arms, Tsubaki didn't let her wear a jacket, mostly because she didn't really have a normal jacket to wear. Takuro pulled off his sweater and gave it to her. "Here." Hinari took it gratefully and put it on. It was too big for her but she didn't complain.

"This way." Hinari lead the way, occasionally pausing to listen. She turned the corner and did an about face.

"What is it?"

"Lynch mob." She whispered. "Follow me." Hinari took Takuro's hand and found the main street. She heard loud footsteps from behind. She pulled Takuro into an alley and flattened herself against a wall. She waited for a moment before continuing on. They found themselves surrounded. "Shit." Hinari looked about, then pausing long enough to push up the sleeves of Takuro's sweater, she sprinted. Concentrating hard, she passed through a wall, pulling Takuro behind her.

"Where are we going?"

"My apartment, it's the safest place to be." Hinari told him as they passed through the opposite wall of the building. They ran through an alley way, jumped over a fence and soon came to Hinari's apartment building. They ran up the stairs, somehow, the mob had grown in numbers and had caught up. Hinari fumbled with her keys, shoved the door open and pushed Takuro inside. "Close and lock the windows!" She commanded. Takuro quickly did this. Hinari slammed the door shut, slid the bolt, locked the doorknob and formed three seals. She pressed her palms against the door and shoved her chakra into it, setting the seal into place. She sank to the floor. "Thank god for Hokage approved seals." She said just as the pounding began. Takuro jumped in surprise.

"Are you sure we're safe here?" He asked.

"Yeah, we just can't open the windows. For some reason the seal breaks if the windows or door is opened." Hinari explained.

"Then I'm stuck here tonight?"

"Yeah." Hinari told him. She got up and sat back down on the floor, leaning against her bed. Takuro sat down next to her. "I was looking forward to that fireworks display tonight too." She said.

"Will we be able to see it from the any of the windows?"

"No, not very well at least. They only good view I get from this apartment is the sunrise." She told him. She rested her head on his shoulder and closed her eyes. She smiled when she felt Takuro tense up for a second. "You got taller." She stated.

"How can you tell?"

"I just can." She responded. Hinari eventually fell asleep, even past the noise of people still ramming against the door to get it. Takuro pulled the blanket down from the bed and draped it over them. He wrapped his arm around Hinari's shoulders and fell asleep as well.

XxXxXxX

Takuro woke up when he felt the sun strike his face. He rubbed his eyes, and was about to stretch when he heard a soft sigh beside him. Hinari was still sleeping peacefully, leaning against him. He closed his eyes and was drifting off to sleep again when he heard someone knock on the door.

"Hinari-chan, Hinari-chan!" The voice was of an old lady. Takuro stood up, careful not to let Hinari wake up and unlocked the door and opening it. "Oh, is Hinari-chan there?" The old woman asked.

"She's still asleep." Takuro responded.

"Oh, well, I don't want to wake her, I'll come back in a bit." The woman walked away muttering something Takuro couldn't quite hear, he was able to catch small bits of what she was saying. "Kids these days…grow up so fast…what her parents would think…a boy staying over-." The rest of her sentence was cut off when Takuro closed the door.

"Who was that?" Hinari asked. Takuro jumped and spun. He hadn't heard Hinari.

"I think it was the landlady. She was looking for you."

"Probably wants me to get rid of the mob." Hinari muttered. She opened the door and examined the heap of men in front of the door. "Hand me the frying pan sitting next to the sink will you?" Takuro gave it to her. Hinari raised it above her head and one by one, dealt the men powerful blows to the head, snapping them out of the genjutsu they were under. They stood up dazed by the blows. "Get out!" She cried loudly. The volume of her voice made them wince and they left without protest. Hinari went back inside and put the frying pan on the stove. She laughed when she heard Takuro's stomach growl. "Want some breakfast?"

"Sure. Can you cook?"

"I'm not that bad." Hinari responded, reaching into the fridge and pulling out a jar and three eggs. Hinari opened the jar and spooned out a glop of something gooey. She saw Takuro's dubious expression. "Bacon grease." She told him. Takuro was relieved by this. Hinari waited until the bacon grease was sizzling, she cracked each of the eggs and made an omelet. She cut it in half and placed each half on a plate. Hinari handed one to Takuro.

"Thanks." Takuro ate the omelet. "Wow, this is delicious. Not even my dad can cook like this."

"Don't you mean your mom?"

"No, Mom can't cook to save her life. Dad does all the cooking." Takuro said.

"He does?"

"Yeah, he lived by himself for a while so he learned how to cook that way. Mom, I don't know why she can't cook, her Grandma used to be a housewife." Takuro said as he finished. Hinari finished as well.

"What do you do if your dad goes on a mission?" Hinari asked.

"We eat out. I got sick from food poisoning the last time Mom tried to cook."

"Seriously?" Hinari asked. Takuro nodded.

"Is that any way to talk about your mother?" The looked up to see Sasuke standing at the door.

"Hi Dad." Takuro stood up.

"Do I have permission to enter?" Sasuke asked Hinari.

"Yes sir." Hinari said. Sasuke walked up to his son and got him in a headlock and ruffled his hair roughly.

"Stop! Dad! That hurts!" Sasuke released him.

"We wondered what happened to you two last night. Tsubaki came looking for you."

"Oh, we were chased by a lynch mob." Hinari told him. Sasuke raised an eyebrow. "We came here since we'd be safer."

"Could have just come to me." Sasuke said.

"I didn't think of it at the time." Hinari told him.

"That's okay, you two are safe and that's what matters. Come one Takuro, time to face your mother." Sasuke said. Takuro nodded.

"See you later Hinari." He waved to her as he followed his father out the door. Hinari washed the dishes and looked out the window at the Hokage Monument. She looked at her father's stone face.

"Happy belated birthday Dad." She said. Hinari showered and changed. It was then that she realized that Takuro hadn't taken his jacket with him. Hinari folded it and put it aside to return later. She locked her door and walked to the hospital.

"Arashi-'nee-chan!" She cried as she opened her sister's door.

"Good morning Hinari." Arashi was eating breakfast.

"How can you eat that crap?" Hinari asked pointing to the tray of food.

"It's not too bad."

"When's your birthday?" Hinari asked suddenly.

"July fifteenth."

"Darn I missed it already."

"Why?"

"I was going to make you breakfast and bring it to you on your birthday. But I guess that won't happen." Hinari said.

"You can cook?"

"Yep! Everyone that's tried my food says so."

"How many people is that?" Hinari hung her head.

"One." She muttered. "But he was probably telling the truth, Takuro doesn't like lying to me 'cause I usually catch him." Hinari said grinning.

"Is Takuro that boy you fought in round one of the finals?" Arashi asked. Hinari nodded.

"He's also my best friend." Hinari said.

"Can you tell me about him?"

"Takuro's really nice. He's always there to help me. I owe him a lot because of that. He saved my life on a couple occasions, and he's the only person that can calm me down when I go, uh, berserk. He's very kind, and he's always there to make me feel better." Hinari told her.

"Do you like him?" Hinari was caught off guard by the question.

"What do you mean by that?"

"It's a simple 'yes' or 'no' question." Arashi smiled.

"I don't know. He's my best friend, but that doesn't mean I like him." Hinari said. The door opened and Sakura stepped inside.

"Good morning Arashi-chan, Hinari-chan." Sakura said. "My son tells me that you two spent the night running from a mob." Hinari nodded. "And that you cook better than my husband." Hinari nodded again. Sakura smiled. Arashi finished eating and pushed the tray aside.

"Um, Takuro forgot his jacket at my place." Hinari said.

"I'll be sure to tell him so he can go get it." Sakura said. Sakura turned her attention to Arashi. "Well, good news, you can start your physical therapy to get back into shape." Sakura told her.

"What will have to do?" Arashi asked her.

"First, we're going to work on getting your legs up to speed, you'll have to learn to walk again for the most part. With the amount of time you've spent in a coma, you've gone through puberty so your mind has to catch up with the rest of you. In maturity your about as old as Hinari, but your body is older. So, if anyone says that you're acting like a twelve year old, you probably are." Sakura explained. "Once you can walk a good amount of distance on your own, you'll be doing strength training to strengthen your muscles. And during all this I'll have to explain everything that happened to your body while you were asleep. Depending on how hard you work this could take anywhere from six months maybe even a year." Sakura said.

"I'll work hard then, I'm a little eager to get back in the field." Arashi said. "What happened to my team anyway?" She asked.

"They died about a year ago, during a reconnaissance mission." Sakura said. Arashi looked down at the blankets in front of her.

"I'm sorry 'nee-chan."

"I'll leave you alone for a bit." Sakura slipped out of the room. Hinari took Arashi's hand.

"Thank you for staying here with me Hinari." Arashi did not cry, but Hinari knew that she was upset.

"Is there anything you want?" Hinari asked.

"Some miso ramen sounds good right now." Hinari nodded and created a Kage Bunshin. She handed it some money. The Kage Bunshin ran to Ichiraku to buy her some ramen.

"Arashi-'nee-chan, are you okay?"

"I'm fine. My team, we were never really close. We hardly got along, and my two teammates didn't like each other very much. They were rivals of a sort. But, I'm still saddened even though I only knew them for a few months." Arashi told her younger sister. "Thanks again." The Kage Bunshin soon returned with the ramen and gave it to Arashi. It disappeared and Arashi ate it. "Man I miss this stuff." Arashi ate the ramen gladly.

"I have to go now, I'll see you later 'nee-chan." Hinari stood up and left.


	21. Chapter 21: Back in the Field

Hinari

Chapter 21

Sakura Hanamoto

"New mission guys. C-rank this time." Hikaru reported to her students. It felt good to be on duty again after a month and a half vacation. "We're escorting a royalty back to her country. She's been traveling in an attempt to gain support for her upcoming position as queen." Hikaru told them. "This mission will be our toughest yet, we don't know what kind of enemies she may have so we have to be on our guard at all times. We meet at the main gate tomorrow morning at eight thirty sharp, understood?"

"Yes ma'am." The three responded.

"Dismissed." Hikaru said. The three gave her a salute and ran off to get ready.

XxXxXxX

Hinari shouldered her back and made sure everything was secure. She pulled on her gloves and sandals and left her apartment. She passed by the landlady's door. "Etsuko-'baa-chan, take care of my keys while I'm gone." Hinari said when the landlady opened the door.

"Of course dear, you be careful now." Etsuko said. Hinari nodded and ran off towards the main gate. She ran into Takuro on the way there and they walked the rest of the way.

"Akagane isn't around much is he?" Takuro asked.

"No, he stays with his siblings, he's too big now." Hinari told him. They came to the gate to see Hikaru and Tsubaki already waiting.

"We're to rendezvous with the party at the northern border, we have to be there by sundown, move out!" The three of them headed out, moving quickly. Hikaru lead them forward. Hinari heard the faint sound of animal's footsteps. Akagane and Kai appeared from the foliage.

"Long time no see." Hinari said.

"Yeah." Kai murmured. Hinari saw that Akagane had a second tail now. Soon the others came out of the forest, surrounding the three humans.

"Hinari, we're approaching the border, do something about our company." Hikaru commanded.

"Can you guys stay hidden, or stay here; I'll summon you if necessary." Hinari said. Kai and Akagane nodded. The siblings disappeared back into the foliage. The team stepped out of the woods and onto the main road, and slowed down to a steady walk.

"Ah, here comes our client." Hikaru muttered to her students. An envoy of several carts rumbled towards them. "Remember what I told you; make sure you don't miss anything."

"Right." Takuro said.

"Got it." Tsubaki murmured. Hinari nodded. The envoy rolled to a stop and a carriage door opened. A woman in her early thirties stepped out of the carriage and approached them.

"You must be the escorts from Konoha, correct?" The woman asked. The woman was tall, slender, and dressed in silk. Her long hair tied up into a bun.

"Yes. My name is Hyuuga Hikaru, and these are my students, Uzumaki Hinari, Uchiha Takuro, and Nara Tsubaki." Hikaru introduced them.

"I am the Princess Mae." The princess said. The four bowed to her. Hinair caught a whistling sound like a projectile. Her eyes followed it and she snatched it out of the air.

"A toy?" She spoke aloud. It was a suction cup arrow. She looked up to see a boy hide behind the open carriage door.

"Oh, that's my son. Masashi, come out here." The woman called to the boy. The boy hesitantly left his hiding place and stood beside his mother. The boy was about their age.

"How'd you catch that? I never miss." Masashi said.

"Well, there's a first time for everything, isn't there?" Hinari asked him, handing the arrow back to him. The boy was very much like his mother in physical appearance. Hikaru looked around then turned back to Mae.

"We should keep moving." Hikaru said.

"Yes, that sounds like a good idea." Mae went back inside the carriage, Masashi sat beside the driver. The envoy was moving again, Hikaru gave her students their orders and they carried them out. Tsubaki was at the head, keeping a look out there. Takuro took the back section, while Hinari stayed near the center where the carriage was located. Hikaru walked beside the carriage conversing with Mae. Hinari walked beside the horses but moved away when they became jitter from her scent. She pulled back near the driver and Masashi.

"Where'd you learn to shoot like that? If I hadn't caught that, it would have hit me square on the forehead." Hinari asked Masashi.

"One of the guards taught me, he made the bow and arrows too." Masashi told her. "Do you have a specialized weapon?" He asked Hinari.

"Huh?"

"I heard that some shinobi use a specific weapon besides the standard ones."

"No, I use the standard weapons along with my fists and nails." Hinari told him.

"Nails?" Hinari realized her slip up.

"Can't tell you, classified information." Hinari responded.

"I'm a prince, I command you to tell me."

"S-class info, it overrides anyone's orders." Hinari retorted. Masashi was about to respond when Hinari threw up her hand to silence him. She blinked her Byakugan active. "Sensei, we've got company. All from the east." Hinari reported. Hikaru ceased talking to Mae.

"Takuro, Tsubaki, you have orders for no quarter, we're not concerned with prisoners." Hikaru said, speaking through the headset she wore. Hikaru heard the shout and drew a kunai, throwing it.

"Your Highness, get inside now." Hinari ordered, she charged forward and kicked at a bandit wielding a katana. She danced out of the blades way and came in with a Jyuuken strike to the heart. The man fell and she raced back. Tsubaki snapped another bandit's spear with her fan; she snapped it open and blew him away. Takuro struck a fourth bandit in the head with a kunai. Two more bandits were coming towards the carriage. Hinari and Hikaru stood back to back. The two bandits came in firing arrows. Both rotated quickly, knocking the arrows out of the air. Hinari and Hikaru came in with Jyuuken strikes to each man, killing them instantly.

With the threat gone, the envoy continued on its way to the coast. Night began to fall and the envoy halted and set up camp. The princess had a small guard with her. Hikaru got acquainted with the captain.

"I can help with the first watch. My students will be nearby as well if you have any need of them." Hikaru said.

"Thank you Hikaru-san." The captain saluted her and ran off to make sure everyone was as it should be.

"Sensei, is there anything we can do?" Hinari asked, all three of them were very bored. Tsubaki was standing behind Hinari and Takuro leaned against a crate, his hands stuffed into his pockets.

"No, go ahead and eat and get some rest, you three did well today." Hikaru told them.

"Thank you sensei." The three ran off to eat.

"Hey you three! Care to join us?" A few guards were eating and playing cards. The three walked up to them.

"Mom would kill me if she found out that I gambled." Takuro said. "I'll just watch."

"Me too." Tsubaki said.

"I'm in. How do I play?" Hinari asked. The guards chuckled. One of them made some room for her to sit down.

"We're playing B.S. Basically, you have to lie to win." The guard next to her explained. The four other guards handed their hands to the dealer and he demonstrated for her how to play. "Think you can keep up?" He asked.

"Yeah, I think so." The dealer dealt out the cards. The guards threw in some cash. Hinari dug through her pouch for her wallet. She pulled it out and opened it. "No money." She sighed.

"What about that necklace you're wearing?" A guard sitting across from her asked. Hinari lifted her hand to the stone.

"This? It means a lot to me, I don't know if I could. If I lost it-."

**"Hinari, you can cheat."** Kyuubi said.

'Cheat?'

**"Yeah, the Byakugan, look at their hands, and the pile, that way, you can't lose your necklace."** Kyuubi told her.

'But-.'

**"You're a ninja; deception is a part of your job!"** Kyuubi cried.

'Okay then, I just hope I don't get caught.' Hinari thought. "Okay." Hinari removed her necklace and tossed it in the pile.

"Hinari what are you thinking?" Takuro asked. Hinari looked at him and winked.

"Okay, we start from the dealer and go clockwise." The dealer picked up a pair of cards from his hand and set them face down. The game continued, and the guard that sat beside Hinari put his final card down.

"One nine."

"B.S." Hinari said. Everyone looked at her. The guard flipped it over, it was a four. The guard grunted and picked up the large stack of cards. The game wore on and Hinari placed her final three cards down. "Three nines." Everyone looked at her and the stack.

"B.S." One of them called. Hinari flipped the three cards over and revealed it to be true. "I win." Hinari dragged the pile of money and her necklace towards her. The guard on her left grabbed her arm.

"Are you cheating?" He asked. Hinari looked up at him, and looked him straight in the eye.

"No." She responded.

"She is a ninja; she could be trained to lie." One chipped in.

'Crap.' Hinari thought. "It's true, I was trained to be a good liar, but I suck at it. I was always bad at it." Hinari said.

"That could be a lie too."

"No, really, she can't even lie to us without getting caught." Tsubaki chipped in.

"She's got a point." The dealer said. "You're win Hinari." Hinari put her necklace back on and stuffed the money into her wallet.

"I'm done, gambling isn't my thing." Hinari stood up and the three walked away. Once out of earshot, Hinari burst into laughter.

"You were using the Byakugan, weren't you?" Tsubaki asked.

"Duh! I wasn't going to lose my necklace! It can buy at least two mountains by itself." Hinari told her. Hinari sighed. "It was Kyuubi-san's idea. I'm glad he came up with it."

"Well, you got a nice amount of money there too." Takuro said.

"I'm hungry, let's find some food and eat." Hinari suggested.

"Good idea." The three found Hikaru and asked her where to get food. Hikaru told them and asked them about what they'd been doing.

"Gambling." Hinari told her.

"What?"

"I won." Hinari said. Hikaru raised an eyebrow but said nothing. The three got some food and ate. They found comfortable spots and fell asleep wrapped tightly in their blankets.

XxXxXxX

"Tsubaki, watch over the prince, Hinari, you've got the rear, Takuro, the front, I'll be with the Princess." Hikaru gave out the assignments. The envoy was heading out for another day towards the coast.

"Prince Masashi! Be careful, please." Tsubaki said as Masashi was standing next to the driver as the carriage jostled up and down.

"I'll be fine; I have an excellent sense of balance." He told her. Masashi blinked and shaded his eyes from the sun. "What's that?" He pointed off into the distance. Tsubaki looked.

"I don't know. Hikaru-sensei, there's something up ahead, requesting permission to investigate." Tsubaki spoke through her head set.

"Granted, don't engage, understood."

"Yes ma'am." Tsubaki took off at a fast run ahead of the envoy. She came closer and ground to a halt. She jumped into some trees and hid. She watched a squadron of men on horses ride by. 'More guards?' She thought. They wore the same uniform the other guards did. 'Maybe.' Tsubaki raced back, going past the horsemen.

"Report?" Hikaru asked.

"More guards. But, we're no where near the coast yet, there's no reason for them to be here." Tsubaki said.

"Be on your guard, they could be imposters." Hikaru said. Tsubaki nodded and went back to her station beside the prince. Takuro soon reported in that the squadron had halted in the middle of the road. "Hinari, come to the front." Hikaru ordered. Hinari joined the rest of her team. She sniffed the air, a scent that was new to her lingered about the men before them.

'What's this scent Kyuubi-san?' She asked.

**"It fear, and betrayal. Be careful."** Hinari glowered at the men, they did seem rather fidgety.

"State your reason for being here." The captain commanded.

"We received orders to escort her highness to the palace." One of the men answered.

"Orders? From whom?" The captain asked.

"From the royal advisor. He believes that it would be best to leave the princess and prince's safety in the hands of those that can be trusted." Hikaru's eyes narrowed in suspicion.

"He lies." Hikaru said. Everyone turned to her. "Speak the truth or I will force you to!" She commanded. The guard swallowed a lump in his throat.

"Shihei-dono ordered us to meet with the envoy and join the escort so that the princess may arrive safely, he does not want anything to happen to her." The guard explained. Hinari caught movement from the corner of her eye.

"Sensei, we've got company." She whispered into the head set. Hinari moved behind Takuro and drew a kunai without being seen.

"Don't move until I give orders." Hikaru said. Hinari gripped the kunai, ready to strike if need be.

"And what would this 'Shihei-dono' know of matters that concern the military?" Hikaru asked the guard.

"He is the royal advisor, as the king is gravely ill and all other royals not present, by law, he is permitted to give orders." The guard told her. Hikaru smiled.

"That's exactly what I wanted to hear." Hikaru said. "We've got company, be ready, and protect the princess and prince no matter what." She commanded.

"Capture the princess!" The guard cried. The captain sprung forward and drew his sword. Hinari stepped back towards the carriage.

"Don't move!" She said as a kunai whistled through the air, Hinari knocked it away and charged forward. She delivered a punch to the enemy, but she was caught by the wrist and thrown to the ground. She grunted in pain and leapt back up to her feet, only to be met with a large fist that struck her in the stomach. Hinari gasped as the wind was knocked out of her and she crumpled to her knees.

'Katon: Ryuuka no Jutsu!' Flame enveloped the enemy and he cried out. Takuro picked Hinari up and moved her away from the fire. "You okay?"

"Yeah, thanks." Hinari got her second wind and looked about for anymore enemies.

"Help! Mother, no!" Takuro and Hinari raced back to eh carriage and saw that several of the guards that had served as the distraction were dragging Mae from the carriage. Masashi drew one of his arrows and fired it. It distracted one of the guards, and he kicked the one that had a hold of his mother. Takuro and Hinari jumped into the fray and knocked out a few of the guards. A massive hand came down on their shoulders and tossed them away. A large man dressed as a ninja grabbed Mae roughly and slung her over his shoulder. Hikaru hesitated in throwing a shuriken in fear of striking the princess and the man got away. The guards that had betrayed them were now either dead or tied up. Everyone regrouped at the carriage, Masashi stared at his feet.

"What do we do? Should we go back to find allies that will help us?" One guard asked.

"What are our orders?" The captain stumbled towards Hikaru. "Hikaru-san, you have command over us. Tell us what we must do." Hikaru thought for a moment.

"Our first priority is to protect Prince Masashi. We will continue towards the coast. Once there, we will find out what happened. From there, we will go to the capital, it's a risk, but we must rescue the princess. There is no doubt in my mind that the kind is dead by now. This Shihei, he is obviously behind this. A coup to become king. They will come for the prince next, once his mother and grandfather are dead. With them out of the way, all that stands between Shihei and the throne is Prince Masashi." Hikaru said. "We move out now. Hinari, you stay in the carriage with the prince. I'll cover the front, Tsubaki, Takuro, you two have the rear." Hikaru said. For a moment everyone stood there. "You have your orders, now carry them out." She said. Everyone gave her a salute and ran to carry out their orders.

"Your highness, how are you feeling?" Hinari asked Masashi.

"I couldn't protect her." He muttered. His shoulders were shaking; Hinari knew that he was crying.

"We don't always succeed in what we set out to do. When that happens, you keep trying and trying until you do succeed." Hinari told him.

"But, if I can't protect one person, then I can't protect a kingdom. I'm second in line for the throne, when I become king, I'll be known as a failure."

"No." Masashi looked up at Hinari in surprise. "You will only be known as a failure if you don't do anything. You care about your mother, your grandfather, don't you?" Masashi nodded.

"I do."

"Then, fight for them, don't give in, if they mean so much to you, fight to the death for them."

"How would you know?" Hinari blinked very slowly.

"I know what it feels like to be thought of as a failure. I know what it's like to have no one love you. Everything I have, my friends, my family, I have earned them. You must earn the trust of your kingdom. The first step is to protect those that protect your kingdom."

"Will you help me fight?" Masashi asked.

"Yes. I will, don't worry." Hinair smiled. Masashi wiped his tears away and sat up straight.

"Thank you."

"Thank me when we save your mother." Hinari said to him.


	22. Chapter 22: Infiltration

Hinari

Chapter 22

Sakura Hanamoto

Shihei paced back in froth. He was happy, yes he was. The Princess was now in his possession, but there was still a problem. The boy still lived. That boy was the only thing that was in his way, and he was still alive! It infuriated him. Shihei ceased pacing and whirled around to face his three cohorts. A team of ninja from God only knew where, and the big palooka had failed to kill the boy like he was supposed to.

"I told you! I told you that the boy could not live!" He roared.

"He was well protected." The large man responded.

"It doesn't matter, I can't be king if he's still alive somewhere!" Shihei cried.

"Calm down, we'll go out and finish the boy off. Of course, the work will cost you extra." A more slender man put in. He was obviously the leader of the three. He leaned against the wall, arms crossed over his chest. Shihei scoffed at the proposition, but considered it.

"Fine! Just make sure that the boy dies! If you don't, I won't pay you at all!" Shihei told them.

"Come on guys." The two men and a short woman left Shihei alone with the princess.

XxXxXxX

"Hinari, do you copy?"

"Loud and clear captain. Orders?"

"Don't let Prince Masashi out of your sight."

"Understood, over and out." Hinari cast a quick glance about; she motioned for the prince to follow her.

"Where are we going?" Masashi asked her. Hinari was half carrying him as they moved through the trees silently.

"Based on your description of Shihei, there's very little doubt that he's going to make a public spectacle of what he's going to do to your mother. We're going to take a boat up the coast to the capital to avoid being detected." Hinari explained quietly.

"Hinari, area's clear bring him."

"Yes sir." Hinari left the trees and they stood hiding behind a tree. The captain signaled for her. Hinari took Masashi by the wrist.

"Quickly." They darted across the sand. Hinari could see the outline of a boat. She made for it, but three new scents made her stop. "Run!" She commanded, shoving Masashi forward. Masashi stumbled but continued on. Her heard an explosion behind him, but dared not look back. "Sensei, he's back, but he's got friends this time." Hinari reported, dodging another explosive tag. Takuro, Tsubaki, and Hikaru leapt from the trees and engaged the enemy. The larger man went for Masashi as he ran for the boat. Hinari leapt up and overwhelmed him with bunshins.

The man destroyed each one until only Hinari remained. He grabbed her by her braid and ignored the biting sting of the decoration. He slammed her head first into the sand. Hinari's legs kicked for a moment, then ceased. Takuro narrowed his eyes and charged at the man.

"You son of a bitch!" Takuro came in fast and attempted to sweep the man's legs out from under him. Takuro missed and was thrown into the air. He managed to twist his body around and landed on his feet. Before him stood a woman that was not much taller than he was.

"You're kinda cute, pity you're not older." She said. Takuro suppressed a shudder and swiped at her with a kunai. The woman retreated onto the water, Takuro followed, his Sharingan flashing dangerously. The woman halted and began forming seals. Takuro copied them easily. "Suiton: Suiryuudan no Jutsu!" A great dragon formed from water and chakra rose up behind her. Takuro finished less than a second later. The two dragons collided and churned the seas. Takuro took the chance and tossed a volley of shuriken at her. She ducked and ran back to the shore.

Hikaru gripped the slender man's fist tightly; she wasn't going to let him escape. Hikaru struck at him with Jyuuken. His eyes widened as pain coursed through his body. She released him and crouched low. "Hakke Rokujyuuyon Shou." Hikaru sprang forward and bombarded him with Jyuuken strikes. Hikaru delivered the final blow. 'There was no effect?' She studied him carefully. 'He used his chakra as armor!'

Tsubaki stood between the large man and Masashi. Several of the guards stood behind her, ready to help if need be. Tsubaki drew her fan ready to swing. The man sprang forward. "Ninpou: Akai Kaze no Jutsu!" The red stained wind swirled around the man cutting at his clothing and flesh. The winds subsided and Tsubaki rushed in, swinging her fan like a club. She hit him on the side of the head and retreated, moving out of his attack radius. Her eyes widened and she turned to see the man already recovered and attempting to get at Masashi.

"Let go of me! Help!" Masashi cried. Hikaru, Takuro and Tsubaki felt a rush of chakra and they hit the sand and covered their heads. The guards did the same, confused. The large man turned his head in time to be caught by a foot. He skidded across the water, and then was launched into the air. He was slammed to the ground, landing on the woman. The thinner man stood in horror as this powerful entity came at him with unmatched speed. He was sent sprawling beside his allies. He lifted his head up to see the girl with the long hair standing before him. Her eyes blood red, and red chakra swirled around her.

"R-retreat!" He cried, getting up and running away, the other two followed a moment later. Hinari was breathing heavily as she watched them go. Primal instinct told her to follow, but her human side told her to stay. Slowly, Hinari calmed and her eyes returned to their usual blue and she sank to the ground.

"Are you okay Hinari?" Takuro asked.

"Yes, I'm fine." Hinari stood up and watched as her nails shrank back to normal length. She shuddered and stuffed her hands into her pockets. "Is the prince safe?" She asked.

"Yes, thanks to you." The captain told her. No one spoke for a moment.

"We have to hurry. No doubt they came to kill the prince. We have to get the capital as quickly as possible." Hikaru said.

"Captain! The boat is leaking, we won't make it." One of the guards said.

"Then we go by foot." The captain said.

"Hinari, Takuro, Tsubaki, take the prince. Once we arrive at the capital we have to find a way to blend in with the civilians." Hikaru said.

"This way your highness." Takuro helped Masashi out of the boat. "I'll carry you, we can move faster that way." Takuro carried the prince on his back.

"Move out!" Hikaru commanded. The party sprang into the forest and made their way through the trees towards the capital.

XxXxXxX

Mae stood straight and tall, she had no intention of bowing down to the bit of slime of a man before her.

"We're going to publicly execute you your highness. That way, no one will dare question my authority, now that your son is dead, I am king." Shihei relished in his victory.

"He is not dead." Mae said bluntly.

"That is where you are wrong. I've ensured that he died. Now then, you will join him and your father tomorrow at sunrise. I hope you are ready to say good-bye to your kingdom." Shihei turned and sat down.

XxXxXxX

Hikaru and Hinari were in the lead, their Byakugan stretched to its farthest limits. "We're here." Hinari spoke. They came to a stop just outside of the capital city. The sky would soon be lightening with the sunrise.

"I know where we can get a way to sneak into the city without being detected." The captain spoke up. "I used to use this way when I was younger, before I joined the guard." He led the way to a nearly invisible gate that wasn't too far from the main gate. It was large enough for each of them to squeeze through. Hikaru went first, her team, then the prince, and the rest of the guard followed. They stood in the shadows.

"Now what?"

"We need to get into the palace, but I'm unaware of a way to do it."

"I have an idea." Hinari spoke up.

"What is it?"

"You remember that ability I used against Yasha to survive that sand technique of his?" She asked. Hikaru nodded. "I can extend it to one other person, but I know a few who can help us out." With that said Hinari bit her thumb and wiped the blood on her palm. She formed a few seals and pressed her palm to the ground. "Kuchiyose no Jutsu." The six foxes appeared.

"You called Hinari?" Akagane asked.

"We need to infiltrate the palace, and you guys are gonna help." Hinari said.

"What do we have to do?" He asked. Hinari grinned and explained the plan.

XxXxXxX

Hinari gripped Masashi's hand tightly. He gave her directions quietly as they made their way to the palace. The others followed; each of them had a fox with them. The extra guards would have to stay behind. They came to the front gate to the palace and they passed through it easily. The feeling made the captain squirm but he remained silent, Yumeka resting on his shoulder grinned when he shivered. Everyone regrouped and the plan was explained once more.

"Okay, Hinari and Prince Masashi will locate Shihei and deal with him. The captain will open the gates so that the others can get in. Takuro, Tsubaki, and I will take out those three shinobi if necessary. Be careful and good luck. Go!" Everyone broke off to act out their part of the plan. The captain paused and reached into his pack. He tossed a bundle wrapped in cloth to Masashi. He unwrapped it to find a set of finely made arrows, real arrows.

"Just in case, though I hope you won't have to use them." He explained before running off to complete his task.

"Lead the way your highness." Hinari said. The two took off into the palace. A pair of patrol men passed by and they hid in the shadows despite being invisible.

"They'll probably be in the audience chamber, there's a balcony leading out to where they might be." Masashi explained. They continued on their way. As they ran through a main hall, they ran by Tsubaki and Tetsujin.

"Be careful Hinari, and don't do anything rash." Tsubaki said.

"Yeah, what she said." Tetsujin added.

"Like you're one to talk." Hinari muttered.

"Turn left and take these steps up until you reach the door." Masashi instructed. Hinari nodded and they moved silently up the stairs.

XxXxXxX

Hikaru and Kai moved silently through the courtyard. They came to the center where a large fountain was located, but it wasn't turned on. "Behind us, Hikaru-san." Kai whispered into her ear. Hikaru spun in time to catch a flying kunai. She threw it back at the slender man.

"Thanks, you might wanna get out of the way." Hikaru said. Kai leapt from her shoulder and took cover in some well cared for hedges. Hikaru dodged a powerful punch and returned it with a Jyuuken strike. 'Damn, he's still using his chakra as armor. How do I get passed it?' She thought. The man raised his fist and slammed it into the ground, forming a wide crater. Hikaru leapt out of the way just in time.

"Are you going to do nothing but run?" He taunted.

"Hell no!" Hikaru came in closer. "Zesshou Hachimon Hougeki!" She struck him in eight different places and he stumbled.

XxXxXxX

Tsubaki raised her fan and brought it down on the large man. "How'd you know I was there?" He asked her. Tsubaki rolled her eyes.

"You breathe so loudly, I could have been blindfolded and still hit you." She mocked.

"Why you-!" The man raised his fist and brought it down on her, Tsubaki brought her fan up and grunted when his fist made contact with it. She snapped it open swung hard. The man covered his face with his arms and his eyes closed. Tsubaki swung again, he slid backwards a bit. The winds died down and he looked about for her.

"Yoo-hoo," She sang to him. He spun and gasped.

"I can't move!" He cried stupidly.

"Ah, the wonders of shadow based techniques." Tsubaki stood from her crouched position. "Now how should I finish this? Kage Kubi or Kage Nui? Choices, choices, such a hard decision." Tsubaki noticed when her control started to break and she looked at him. "Do you have the chakra capacity to break my hold?" She asked. "Or is capacity too long a word for you?" The man growled and tried again, and succeeded. Tsubaki moved out of the way before he could get at her. "That answers that question." She muttered. Tsubaki bit her thumb and spread the blood over her fan. "Kuchiyose: Kirikiri Mai no Jutsu!" She swung forward and the weasel wielding the sickle popped into appearance, immediately slicing through everything in its path. It struck the man's leg muscles, bringing him to the ground.

"I'm not done with you yet girl." The man growled out.

"We'll see about that. Ninpou: Kage Kubi Shibari no Jutsu!" Tsubaki's shadow snaked forward and strangled him, killing him instantly. Tsubaki wiped her brow and flopped on the ground. Tetsujin reappeared. "Where'd you go?"

"I didn't want to be bothersome." He replied.

"Sure, keep telling yourself that." Tsubaki scratched him behind the ears.

XxXxXxX

Takuro dodged the hail of shuriken and kunai. "Out of my way woman!" He ordered.

"No boy will order me around." The woman replied. She disappeared, and reappeared behind him. She attempted to strike a kunai into his back, but Takuro slipped over her head and got her in a head lock, a kunai at his throat. "I'm not done yet." She disappeared in a puff of smoke.

'Clone? Shit, where is she then?' Takuro searched for her. 'Dammit, where'd she go?'

XxXxXxX

"Mother!" Masashi ran to his mother, only to run into a trap. Shihei scooped him up and held a knife to his throat. "No! Let go of me!" He kicked and thrashed but Shihei didn't loosen his grip.

"Masashi!" Mae attempted to save her sun but got caught by a couple guards. "Release me!"

"Don't even think about if ninja girl. One step and he dies!" Shihei threatened when Hinari was about to move. "Its sunrise, the people have gathered and are ready to see you die, your highness. Say good-bye to your precious son." Shihei had the guards shove Mae out onto the balcony. In the courtyard, stood no one. Just Hikari and the slender man, still fighting. Mae smiled slightly.

"Mother, no." Masashi began to cry as a guard raised his sword to remove her head.

"Let her go." Hinari growled. The guard paused. Hinari's eyes slowly turned red and her whisker marks broadened. She snarled, revealing long canine. The guard stumbled back, dropped the sword and fell over the balcony, landing in the courtyard, his body crushed by the impact.

"Fine, I'll kill her myself!" Shihei turned Masashi over to a guard and raised the sword to strike Mae down. Hinari moved and knocked the guard away, his head colliding with the wall with a sickening crunch.

"Masashi." She murmured. Masashi drew one of the real arrows and pulled the string back. He aimed and fired. The arrow imbedded itself in Shihei's hand. He dropped the sword in pain.

XxXxXxX

Hikaru delivered the final blow, killing the man. He dropped to the ground and Hikaru knelt down to regain her breath. "That was tough." She muttered. She gasped upon feeling Hinari's chakra level spike up.

XxXxXxX

'Katon: Goukakyuu no Jutsu!' The room lit up into flames and Takuro heard a high pitched scream. Realizing that the woman was dead, he ran. He ran to find Masashi and Hinari and help if it was needed. Gin followed him at his heels.

XxXxXxX

While turning, Shihei knocked Mae off balance and she fell. Hinari was already there and grabbed the woman by the wrist. Hinari's abdomen was being squeezed uncomfortably by the railing. "Stupid girl!" Shihei took the blade in the other hand and slashed at Hinari. Hinari heard a grunt of pain and she turned.

"T-Takuro!" He'd taken the blow for her. Feeling a rush of anger, she yanked Mae back up to the balcony and pounced on Shihei, ripping his throat out. Mae ran to Masashi and embraced him.

"Hinari-san," He murmured. Hinari became civil again at the sight of Takuro. He lay on the ground.

"Takuro, why'd you-?"

"Because you're worth the trouble." He whispered, but she didn't quite catch his words. "I'm just glad to know that you're safe." Takuro blinked and hissed in pain. Hinari took a kunai and cut his shirt open. Takuro's hand rested on his abdomen, she moved it carefully and saw that it was holding his insides in. She bit her lip. Hinari looked up to see Tsubaki and Tetsujin run in.

"Go get Hikaru-sensei, now!" She cried. Tsubaki nodded and took off immediately. Takuro was trying to speak. "No, don't waste your energy, just concentrate on breathing." Takuro hissed again. Hinari blinked and her cheek felt wet. She brushed away a tear. "Why am I crying?" She asked aloud.

**"Is it because he means more to you than you realize?"** Kyuubi asked her. Hinari ignored him, but stored the question away to think about later.

"Hinari!" Hikaru ran to them and Hinari moved aside. Hikaru moved Takuro's hand. "This is bad. Your highness, is there a doctor or something here?"

"Yes, there should be the royal surgeon. I'll run and get him." Mae did just that.

"Will he be okay?" Hinari asked.

"If we can patch him up quickly enough. Yes. My skills with healing aren't very high. This is way beyond my level. If his mother were here his survival would be almost certain. But-," Hikaru didn't continue. Mae returned with the surgeon and two guards carrying a stretcher. Hikaru moved out of the way and he was loaded onto the stretcher. Hinari still gripped his other hand, but let go when he was too far away.

"Hinari, will you be alright?" Kai asked softly. Hinari wiped away more tears.

"Only if he will be." She said softly.

XxXxXxX

Hinari slept uncomfortably in the chair beside Takuro's bed. He'd live, according to the surgeon, but he'd have a nasty scar across his abdomen later. Hinari jerked away when Akagane jumped onto her lap. "How are you holding up?" He asked.

"I'm fine." Hinari was still holding Takuro's hand tightly. At the moment, he was in a drug induced sleep.

"You really do care about him, don't you?"

"I guess I do."

" 'Guess'? It's either you do or you don't." Akagane said. Hinari sighed.

"I'm still a kid you know, it's not like I have make a decision now."

"Good point. We're leaving now, if that's okay with you."

"Okay, see you guys later." She said. Hinari looked over at Takuro and fell asleep again. 'Arashi-'nee-chan was right. I do like him.' She thought before she was lost to her dreams.


	23. Chapter 23: A Solo Mission?

Hinari

Chapter 23

Sakura Hanamoto

**A/N: I don't normally give author's notes lately, but of the people that have read this, consistently and like it, would anyone like to draw some fanart? If you want to send me a message and I'll give you a more detailed description of whatever character you were planning on drawing.**

"How are you feeling Takuro?" Tsubaki asked.

"I feel better, but it still hurts a bit." He replied. He glanced at Hinari who stood at the door playing with her hair nervously. "What are you doing all the way over there?" He asked her. Hinari looked up in surprise but didn't answer. She returned to twisting her hair around her index finger. 'I wonder what's wrong with her.' He thought. Without a word, Hinari slipped through the door and disappeared.

"What's up with you two?" Tsubaki asked him curiously. She'd noticed most of what happened between them. She found it rather amusing.

"I don't know. She's been avoiding me." Takuro replied.

"Lover's quarrel?" "W-what?! It's nothing like that Tsubaki." Takuro was surprised by the question, but he still turned a tad red. Tsubaki laughed.

"You guys are too funny."

"Why's that?"

"It's pretty obvious that you like her."

"No I don't." He denied flatly. "Don't bother lying. Let's go over the proof shall we? First, you're always there when Kyuubi starts to take over, without fail. You're always protecting her, or carrying her around when she's unconscious. Plus you stare at her." Tsubaki said.

"I don't stare at her." "Sure." Tsubaki crossed her arms over her chest. "I'm more observant than you think Takuro." Tsubaki stood up. "Well, whatever's going on, I hope it ends soon, its starting to get on my nerves." Tsubaki left the room, leaving Takuro alone. Takuro looked out the window at the sky.

'Dammit, she's right about everything!' He thought angrily. 'But I don't stare, do I?' He asked himself.

XxXxXxX

The team was on their way back to Konoha, Takuro was fit enough to walk, but he was leaning heavily on a stick. "How much farther Sensei?" He asked in annoyance.

"Just a few more miles Takuro, you'll live." Hikaru answered.

"I don't feel like I will." He muttered.

"Be a man and suck it up." Hinari responded. He glared at her for a second then looked back at his feet, concentrating to keep them moving. Tsubaki muttered darkly under her breath.

'Dear God, these two are so annoying! Man do I feel like a third wheel.' Tsubaki was on the edge of insanity; her teammates were driving her nuts. One second they get along great, the next they're practically at each other's throats.

'Great, they're already turning into sacks of hormones already; the next few years won't be fun.' Hikaru thought in resignation

XxXxXxX

"Finally!" Tsubaki cried with relief. They entered the village.

"Takuro, go get yourself put back together." Hikaru ordered.

"Fine." Takuro hobbled away, he was barely standing by now, his energy completely sapped.

XxXxXxX

Hinari leaned against her open window staring at the stars in the sky. 'Why am I being so weird?' She thought.

**"It's the hormones kid, you're growing up." **Kyuubi told her.

'Hormones?'

**"It's time for the 'Talk'."** He said.

'Huh?'

**"Though, I really don't think I should be the one to do this, I'm not even human. Go ask a relative to explain it."** Kyuubi said. This confused Hinari.

'Do you mean like sex?'

**"Duh."**

'Do I really have to worry about that now?'

**"You're going to be thirteen next May, might as well get it over with."**

\'I'll worry about it later.' Hinari said.

**"Whatever kid, just don't make me do it."**

XxXxXxX

Arashi gripped the railing tightly as she struggled to make her leg move. 'Come on, take a step!' She thought. Slowly, her foot moved and came forward. Her tight grip made her knuckles turn white as she willed her other leg to move.

"Come on Arashi-chan, you can do it." Sakura encouraged. Arashi urged her leg forward and managed to take a full step forward. She had reached the end of the railing. "Okay, we're done for today. Each day we'll try to get you to walk a little more and a little faster."

"Okay." Sakura wheeled the wheelchair closer and she sank into it. "I feel the burn." Arashi said with a laugh.

"That's good; it means you're getting stronger." Sakura took her back to her room. "Oh, Hinari's back from her mission. She'll probably come by tomorrow." She told her.

"Great." Arashi was looking forward to talking to her sister whenever she came by. Each time they got to know each other a little more, and the more it seemed like they'd known each other their whole lives. Like they'd always known about each other. Arashi picked herself up and flopped onto her bed; she pulled her legs up and pulled one of the blankets over them.

"Now remember to do those little exercises, they'll help the process along."

"Okay, I will." Arashi sighed and sank into her bed. "Maybe I'll ask her about her team." She pondered. Arashi stared at the ceiling. "I need something to do." It was terribly boring when her sister or Sakura weren't around.

XxXxXxX

The leaves in all the trees were beginning to turn vibrant hues of orange, yellow, and red and fall from the trees. The approach of winter was a long and daunting one for Hinari's team. Since the last mission, it had been one D-rank after another. And none of them were happy about it. "Why can't we get a good mission?" Tsubaki whined during one of their days they had free.

"Maybe we'll get a really big mission later on." Hinari suggested.

"Doubt it, with the way things are going." Takuro added. Hinari inclined her head and raised an eyebrow, studying him. "What?" He asked when he noticed her scrutinizing.

"You got taller, again!" She cried. Takuro blinked.

"How do you notice these things?"

"I don't know, I just do. Tsubaki's still as tall as she was when we graduated, and I grew like one inch!"

"At least you've grown. I'll be Moyashi-chan forever at this rate." Tsubaki sighed mournfully.

"Hey guys!" Kana and Kouga came towards them. "Haven't seen you guys much lately." Kouga said.

"Yeah, you either. Where's everyone else?" Hinari asked. "They're comin'." Sure enough, Haruka, Hiro, Daisuke and Masaru appeared around the corner.

"Hey Hinari, I heard you can run a mile in five minutes, that true?" Kana asked.

"Yeah, why?"

"How about a race, to see who's fastest out of all of us." Kouga suggested, gesturing to the whole group.

"Sure, why not? It'll give us something to do anyway. Anyone else?" Hinari asked, her eyes swept over the other eight.

"No thanks, I already know I can't keep up with you. I'll be judge." Tsubaki said.

"Okay then, everyone else is in?" Everyone nodded. "Great. What's the route Tsubaki?" Hinari asked.

"Oh, uh, let's see; run all the way through Konoha and back, no shortcuts allowed. Let's see, run down the main street, passed Ichiraku, and go by the Hyuuga manor, passed the Academy, around the Hokage's building and back." Tsubaki said.

"Okay." Hinari stretched out a bit. Everyone participating lined up together. Kouga and Kana had Kuromaru and Tsukishiro stay behind.

"All right, on your mark, get set, go!" Tsubaki cried. The eight genin took off in an instant. Hinari pulled ahead easily.

'This is no contest!' She shot forward down the street. Several people stopped and stared at the group that ran by. Hinari blinked and turned her head. Takuro was keeping pace with her. 'Heh, can he really keep up with me?' She doubled her pace and she pulled ahead of him, and he fell behind.

XxXxXxX

Tsubaki sat down to wait for them to come back. Knowing Hinari, she'd be returning soon enough. "Excuse me; I'm looking for Uzumaki Hinari." Tsubaki looked up to see a chuunin waiting for a reply.

"She's in the middle of a race right now. She'll be back soon." Tsubaki told him. Sure enough, a few minutes later Hinari was coming back.

"I win." She declared as she braked next to Tsubaki.

"Okay, this guy here says he's looking for you." Tsubaki jerked a thumb in the direction of the chuunin.

"Hokage-sama wishes to see you immediately Uzumaki." The chuunin told her.

"All right. Tell everyone else I won. Takuro should be coming any time now." Hinari said as she left Tsubaki, following the chuunin.

XxXxXxX

"A solo mission?" Hinari questioned.

"Yes, one of our latest clients has requested for Konoha's fastest shinobi."

"But sir, I'm just a genin, I'm still a rookie, why send me? Surely there's a faster shinobi in the village."

"No, there isn't a one that can run long distance at a high speed." Konohamaru told her. He slid a file towards her. Hinari picked it up and opened it. She had no idea that genin were even vaguely qualified to go on solo missions. Hinari skimmed over the information.

"Looks like I don't have a choice in the matter anyway." Hinari sighed and put the file down.

"Good, you will meet with him tomorrow morning at the South gate. Ten o'clock sharp." Hinari saluted and left.

'Wow, a solo mission, that's pretty cool.' Hinari plodded down the steps and bumped into someone. "Sorry." She muttered.

"It's okay. Oh, hey aren't you Tsubaki's friend?" Hinari looked up to see Asuma standing in front of her.

"Oh, Asuma-san." Hinari was surprised to see him. He was dressed as a standard ninja. "I didn't know you were a ninja."

"Yeah, I was promoted a month ago. I'm a jounin now." He said.

"How old are you?"

"I'm seventeen."

"Oh, well, congratulations on your promotion then" Hinari bowed and ran off. 'I wonder how he knows Tsubaki, he's so much older.' She thought. Hinari shivered. Winter was coming closer each day, and the early November air was getting colder and colder by the minute.

XxXxXxX

Hinari stood at the gate, her backpack sitting on the ground next to her. She had bought herself a new jacket, just like the older one, and the more recent one put together, it had sleeves, and a hood. She had her face buried in the report she'd picked up from Konohamaru earlier in the morning, giving her details. 'Light travel, unarmed. Why unarmed?' She thought. She heard footsteps and a new human scent struck her nose. "You're late." She stated flatly.

"I'm sorry." Hinari turned to the client to see a young man, maybe no older than Hikaru. He was also quite handsome.

"Are you the one that was hired?" He asked.

"That's right. Konoha's fastest, just as you requested. I'm Uzumaki Hinari."

"It's nice to meet you Hinari-san, my name is Yamamoto Ichiro." Hinari nodded and picked up her pack. It was lighter than normal, mostly because there was virtually nothing in it, just a change of clothes. "Shall we?"

"Yeah." Hinari took a deep breath and looked to the sky. The sky was clear and promised to be a brisk day. She took the lead and the two headed out of the village

XxXxXxX

"We're headed towards the coast, correct?" Hinari asked.

"Yes." Ichiro replied.

"So what's this race about?" Hinari asked.

"I come from a very small country, so small in fact that you wouldn't find it on a map. It's only several miles from Wave Country. The clans in the largest village have always had a tradition, where the one shinobi participates in a highly dangerous race across the country. My clan, our only shinobi recently died during a mission, so we had to find a replacement for him."

"I see. But why ask Konoha for help?"

"You see, I am to become clan head soon, but my fiancée was recently kidnapped. She is the prize to the winner of the race. My clan was allowed to participate simply to make things 'interesting'. That's what he said anyway. But she came from a small but still prominent clan from Fire Country, so we came to Konoha for assistance." He explained.

"So basically, I win, you get your girl back, and I get paid. But one question, what types of dangers are included for me?"

"During the race, there will be obstacles to overcome. Obstacles that weaponry cannot combat."

"That explains why I can't bring any weapons with me." Hinari muttered. "Not that it matters, I am a weapon on my own." The two lapsed into silence until Hinari chose to break it. "Tell me about the person that kidnapped her fiancée."

"He is a man with a great deal of power and money. He is hated by all in our country, but because my fiancée is very beautiful, he took her and made her the prize. There is very little doubt that the race will be rigged so that no one will win and he keeps her himself. It's common knowledge that he has wanted her for a great deal of time now."

"If she's so beautiful, why marry her off to some clan in a small country? Wouldn't it make more sense to give her to a more prominent clan in Fire Country?" "

That's true, but we have known each other since we were young, our parents thought it would be better that way." Hinari thought about it for a moment.

'A little odd, but my parents' situation wasn't normal either.'

XxXxXxX

Hinari and Ichiro stood at the docks waiting for the ferry from Fire Country to his home. Night was beginning to fall, putting Hinari on higher alert. Nothing had happened on the way there, but there was no telling what could happen now that it was getting dark. "Don't wander off Yamamoto-san." She said. "

I don't plan on going anywhere." He responded. Hinari sat down and stared at her palm.

'I still haven't completed the Fuuton: Rasengan. It's bugging me. I can always work on it when I get back.'

"Hinari-san, the ferry's here." Ichiro interrupted her train of thought. Hinari stood up. When the ferry landed they stepped on board and handed tickets to the captain. He took them and waited a half and hour for anyone else coming aboard.

XxXxXxX

Hinari leaned against the railing staring out to sea. Ichiro was doing the same, but he was busy hurling his food up. Hinari tuned him out and breathed in the salty air.

'It's odd, being out on a mission by myself, no teacher, no teammates here with me.'

**"Get used to it. When you get older you'll take on more solo missions as you get stronger." **Kyuubi told her.

'Still, it's a strange feeling, but it's also nice at the same time. Like I'm free.' To illustrate her point, Hinari spread her arms out, but ignored the chilly wind that made her jacket flutter and tugged at her hair.

**"Rather, you're glad to be away from Takuro."** '

That's not it.'

**"I'd give anything to be in a guy's body right now."**

'Why?'

**"I'm a male demon fox Hinari. Figure it out. I'll have to deal with a girl when the hormones run rampant through you. It won't be pretty. With your father it wasn't so bad he was a guy."**

'Whatever. Deal with it, you'll be stuck in me until I grow old and grey and lie on my deathbed barely able to whisper out my final words.'

**"You're assuming you'll live to be old and grey."**

'What's that supposed to mean?'

**"Someone like you, I mean, you have me sealed inside you. As you get older, there'll be tons of assassination attempts made, and eventually, one of them will work. No one is good enough to always avoid them." **Kyuubi chuckled. **"You know that in the end, it's most likely someone who will do you in, not old age."**

'Whatever you say.'

"Hinari-san?" Hinari blinked and turned towards Ichiro, who had finally managed to hold in what was left of dinner. "I'm going to turn in now."

"All right then." Hinari replied. She continued to stare out to sea. 'Kyuubi-san?'

**"What is it Hinari-chan?"**

'Did you ever have strong feelings for someone?'

**"That is a question I have no answer to. If I did, it has been a long time for me dear. I don't remember by now."**

'Oh.'

**"Why do you ask?"**

'Just curious.'

**"Is this about Takuro?"**

'No.'

**"Sure it isn't. You even admitted that you like him, didn't you?"**

'Yes, but-,'

**"Then why keep denying it to others?"**

'I don't know.'

**"Hinari-chan, you're still young. As you get older, you might find someone else that you care about more than Takuro."**

'I guess.'

**"Go get some rest Hinari, it's late and you'll need all of your energy." **

'Okay then.' Hinari yawned and pushed herself away from the railing. She entered the small cabin; for the most part she and Ichiro were the only passengers on board. Ichiro was already snoring on the other side of the cabin, curled up tightly in a blanket. Hinari fished her own blanket out of her backpack and wrapped it around herself. She soon fell asleep to the steady rocking of the ferry.

**The transitions weren't too annoying were they?**


	24. Chapter 24: Race

Hinari

Chapter 24

Sakura Hanamoto

Deep in the heart of Rice Country, in a secret underground base, Orochimaru sat. He was still weak, yes, his revival hadn't been an easy one, but it had left him weak. He awaited Kabuto to report on the success of the recent attempted coup of that small insignificant country on the border of Fire Country, whose name currently escaped him. Finally, he could hear Kabuto's approaching footsteps.

"Orochimaru-sama, I have returned."

"Excellent, report?"

"The coup has failed, and the Princess Mae has just been crowned queen." Kabuto spoke without faltering.

"Anything else?"

"I have learned that a team of shinobi from Konoha was involved in the failure."

"Do you have names?"

"Yes, the captain of the team, a jounin, Hyuuga Hikaru, and her students, Nara Tsubaki, Uchiha Takuro, he is the eldest child of Uchiha Sasuke, and Uzumaki Hinari, the daughter of Uzumaki Naruto." Kabuto spoke.

"Sasuke-kun's son? My, my that is interesting, you said eldest, how many siblings does this boy have?"

"One other, a younger sister, she is a student at the Academy."

"And what of the Uzumaki?"

"Uzumaki Naruto and his wife passed on twelve years ago; Uzumaki Hinari is currently the Kyuubi's Jinchuuriki."

"Well that is interesting indeed."

"I would like to add that Uzumaki Hinari was responsible for Shihei's death. His throat was ripped out. Also, she has been dispatched on a solo mission; she is to participate as a representative for the Yamamoto clan in Lagoon Country."

"Oh? And why was a genin sent?"

"According to my sources, she is supposedly the fastest recorded shinobi in the village, who can also run long distance at great speed." Kabuto risked a glance at Orochimaru. Orochimaru grinned.

"I want the Sharingan, but first, I will need servants, begin recruiting, you know the drill, bring me the youngest Uchiha and also, the youngest Hyuuga as well, they can be of use."

"Yes, Orochimaru-sama."

XxXxXxX

Hinari took in her surroundings, she now understood why the country was called Lagoon Country, and half of the island's beaches were lagoons. "Hinari-san, come this way, we have to return to my home first. My family wishes to meet you." Ichiro called to her.

"Yes, of course." Hinari picked up her belongings and followed him down the beach. They came to a road.

"Someone should be coming to pick us up." He murmured. Sure enough, a cart came rumbling down the dirt road. It stopped right in front of them.

"Welcome back Ichiro-sama." An elderly man welcomed him. He spotted Hinari. "And you must be the shinobi that was hired."

"Yes." Hinari fell into what she considered to be her "formal" way of speaking. For the most part, it was hardly an improvement to her normal speech, just a little more unnatural for her.

"Well climb aboard." Ichiro stepped into the cart and gave Hinari a hand to get in. She sat beside him, clutching her backpack. It was strange meeting with members of a clan she was unfamiliar with. The cart moved onward, and Hinari kept a wary eye out, just in case.

They soon reached Ichiro's home. She was expecting a manor as big as the Hyuuga's, all she saw was one even smaller than the manor Takuro lived in. 'The clan must be pretty small then.' She thought. A man who looked like he was Ichiro's father appeared from the doorway.

"Ah, my son, you've returned safely." Ichiro hopped out of the cart and greeted his father.

"I'm back, father." Ichiro's father looked up at Hinari.

"And you are-?"

"Oh, Uzumaki Hinari of Konohagakure no Sato, sir." She said, bowing to him.

"They sent a child with you Ichiro?"

"Don't worry father, Hinari-san is more than qualified." Ichiro reassured him.

"Well, then, step inside Hinari-san." Ichiro's father moved aside. Hinari slung her pack over her shoulder and stepped inside the house.

XxXxXxX

Hinari sat nervously at the dinner table. There was a feast, but she had hardly touched her food. Mostly because she was very stiff, she was never this formal with her relatives. They understood that she wasn't accustomed to eating grandly and respected her eating habits. These people did not understand, nor did they respect them.

"Do you not like it, Hinari-san?" Ichiro's mother asked politely.

"Oh no, it's delicious, but, I'm afraid I'm not very hungry."

"Why not, you're so small child, it's a wonder you have the energy to run."

"It's not that, it's just that I can't eat normal servings of food without getting sick." Hinari explained.

"Don't your parents feed you properly?"

"I'm an orphan ma'am. I've had to fend for myself for the past eight years." Hinari said.

"Oh my, you poor thing, why don't you eat a little more then?" The woman suggested. Hinari sighed; the woman was all looks and no brains. She couldn't understand that Hinari's body rejected large amounts of food.

"Mother, if Hinari-san does not wish to eat anymore, perhaps we should respect that?" Ichiro suggested. Hinari gave him a relieved glance. She could tell that he'd make a good leader one day.

"Oh, well that's fine I suppose." Ichiro's mother said. Hinari took a final bit of her foot and placed her chopsticks down.

"Thank you for the meal, I'm going to turn in now." She said softly. Hinari stood and walked away.

XxXxXxX

Hinari lay awake. 'The race starts tomorrow, and chances are that I'll be up against some stiff competition. But I didn't know this tiny place had its own hidden village. Maybe it's so small it stays out of international affairs. And if it does, why not go to that village for help, not another country's?' There were so many things to think about; she had a lot of trouble sleeping. But eventually, exhaustion took over and she slept.

XxXxXxX

Hinari and Ichiro were taken to the largest lagoon where the race was set to begin. They arrived where Hinari could see shinobi older and more experienced than herself already preparing. She went over to where they were all stretching out their muscles.

"Hey check it out, it's a kid." One of them pointed her out. Hinari had abandoned her jacket as well as her sandals. She knew she'd be better off without them. When the ninja spoke about her, she tightened her forehead protector. The sun glinted off of it and he fell silent in surprise.

"They brought in a kid from Konoha? Can they do that?" They all began whispering, never mind them all being against each other. They now had a common goal, take the youngest participant out.

"Hey kid, why are you here?" A tall man with thickly muscled legs asked her.

"I'm the fastest in Konoha." Hinari replied.

"Hah! That's bull shit." Hinari scowled.

'I'll show him when he eats my dust.' Hinari thought.

**"Don't lose it now Hinari." **Kyuubi warned.

'I know, I won't.' Hinair stretched out her leg muscles but did nothing else. After a little while a squat man with a bulging belly appeared before them, he was dragging a beautiful young woman along. Her arms were bound to her sides, her mouth gagged. 'So she's the prize? What a sick bastard.'

"Now then, Lagoon Country's annual cross country race shall being now. All runners, line up!" He cried. Hinari got into position beside a burly man and a very lanky woman that probably weighed less than she did. Hinari crouched, her toes sinking slightly into the lose sand. She sniffed the air.

'Might rain at one point, better be on the look out for clouds.' Hinari thought.

"The race shall cover the usual route, for those of you who are unfamiliar with it, take a quick look." The man whipped out a map and Hinari took a good look at the marked route, she memorized it as best she could.

'Slight disadvantage, but I like having a handicap, makes things fun.' Hinari stared forward.

"On your marks," The runners crouched, their muscles tight, ready to spring forward. "Get ready," Hinari leaned forward slightly. "Go!" The runners were up in a flash.

'This might be a lot more difficult than I thought.' Hinari thought as several runners pulled ahead of her. 'Plus, who knows what these obstacles will be.' She pushed herself forward.

Hinari wasn't the slowest, but she certainly wasn't the fastest either. The leaders soon pulled farther ahead, and those behind her fell farther behind. Soon, Hinari was on her own. She kept moving, never slowing her pace.

**"Don't tire yourself out too fast Hinari." **Kyuubi warned. Hinari slowed slightly. She moved through a forested area now, she could hear no birds, nor smell any other living presence at the present.

'Something's wrong.' Hinari pressed her hands together. 'Kai!' Everything wavered and the genjutsu dropped. Nothing changed for a moment. Then, there was a break in the trees and she came to a cliff. She ground to a halt and glanced back at the pathway. She realized that she'd been running up an incline for some time. Closing her eyes, she pictured the map in her mind to figure out her next move.

XxXxXxX

"So what's the word?" The squat man asked. Three shinobi sat on the ground in a meditative position.

"The first main wave has passed through the genjutsu, the kid from Konoha included." One man reported.

"I didn't think she'd notice it." The short man muttered.

"She's stopped now, at the cliff side." A second said.

"Probably trying to figure out where to go next."

XxXxXxX

Hinari's eyes snapped open and she took off again, she could faintly smell those behind her. She picked up speed. Hinari ran along the cliff, her Byakugan active, scouting ahead. 'A bridge up ahead, I'm supposed to cross it.' She came to the bridge and inspected it for a second. Finding nothing wrong, she started across. She was halfway across when the ropes snapped and she began to plummet down the ravine towards the river below. Thinking quickly, she formed a seal. "Kage Bunshin no Jutsu!" Two bunshins grabbed her by the arms and tossed her up into the air. A third threw her to the other side of the ravine. Hinari rolled and regained her footing. She took off again, dismissing the clones.

**"That was unexpected."**

'Yeah, but at least I made it across. This means that I'm last now.' She responded. Unless those behind her would be able to get across, she was dead-last now.

XxXxXxX

Hinari could tell that she was gaining on the one ahead of her. She could just barely see him; he was barely within her range of vision. He had halted in the middle of a path. 'What the hell?' Hinair drew closer and found an enormous summoned beast blocking the road.

Hinari caught up to the runner, he was still frozen in terror at the sight of the enormous creature. "How long have you been standing there?" She asked.

"I don't know anymore." He muttered. Hinari sighed, and approached cautiously. The beast turned to her.

"Unless you wish to be eaten, turn back girl." It warned in a gruff voice. Hinari rolled her eyes.

"This will require someone else's touch." She murmured. 'Kyuubi-san, help me out.' She said.

**"Sure thing."** Hinari could feel Kyuubi's chakra flowing through her. She crouched on all fours, and looked the creature straight in the eye.

_**"MOVE OUT OF MY WAY!"**_ She roared in a voice that was not her own.

"K-Kyuubi!" The huge creature move instantly. Hinari smiled and straightened.

"Thank you very much." She was off again. The man she'd left behind attempted to go too, but the animal pounced on him. Hinari laughed as she went on. 'Halfway across, but still a long way to go.' She thought.

XxXxXxX

"The kid got passed your summon sir." One of the three shinobi reported.

"How?"

"She scared it into moving." He replied.

"I want surveillance on her. I want to know how she can do these things despite her rank."

"Yes sir."

'That girl, just what is she?'

XxXxXxX

The sun was high in the sky and Hinari had yet to catch the next person ahead. 'Just how much training do these guys go through?' She thought. She pumped her legs harder, taking longer strides faster. Hinari couldn't see the next person yet.

Hinari looked up to the sky and blinked, it was getting hotter even though it was late fall. She wiped some sweat away. "This is a lot harder than I thought it would be." She murmured. Hinari stopped for a moment to consult her mental map. 'Every time I stop, I lose more and more time.' Once she was certain she was on the right track she ran on.

Hinari stumbled and rolled, she realized too late that she'd set off a trap. Volleys of darts flew at her from all directions as she sprung from the foliage. Hinari rotated. "Kaiten!" The darts fell to the ground uselessly. Hinari continued on, more wary of anymore traps.

XxXxXxX

Hinari kicked over the cadaver. It was one of the runners. 'This thing is getting more and more dangerous.' She thought giving him a short prayer. Hinari kicked the body into a bush and took off again. 'Who knows how many are left by now.' Hinari thought nervously.

XxXxXxX

"How many are still alive?" The short man asked.

"Three, one from the Kimura clan, the Ichikawa clan, and the kid from Konoha. And she's catching up to them."

"My, I'm impressed, I didn't expect someone her age to last so long."

"I don't think anyone has."

XxXxXxX

Hinari ground to a halt before an enormous barrier of earth. She put a hand to it and examined it closely. "There's a lot of chakra infused into this thing." She mumbled. "Perhaps," She produced a Bunshin. She held out her palm and began to pour out chakra. The clone compressed the chakra. "Rasengan!" Hinari drove the swirling mass of chakra into the barrier. Slowly but surely, it began to shred away at the barrier. The whole soon became just large enough to pass through it. Hinari leapt through and grinned. 'Fuuton: Rasengan, half complete.' She thought happily. Hinari ran with renewed energy, to her surprise, she caught up to the person in front of her.

"What the hell! How'd you get this far?" It was the tall lanky woman. Hinari shrugged.

"Luck I guess."

"Well, it runs out here." The woman halted and rounded on her, aiming a kick to Hinari's gut. Hinari leapt back to dodge. Hinari automatically reached for a kunai, then stopped when she realized that she was unarmed. Instead, she settled into her Jyuuken stance. She waited, watching. The woman sprang forward with a powerful drop kick. Hinari dodged and came in with a Jyuuken strike to the heart. The woman gasped, cough and fell. Her heart stilled. Hinari sighed.

"How many people have I killed in the past five months?" She asked herself. She didn't bother figuring it out, she didn't have time. There was one last person ahead of her, she had to catch up and pull ahead. 'I need to borrow some chakra.'

**"Coming right up."** Kyuubi said. Hinari breathed in and out, in and out. The chakra flowed through her, made her blood boil, and her eyes turned red. Hinari took off at an incredible speed. A speed she'd never achieved before, ever.

XxXxXxX

The other remaining runner was skipping gleefully; he'd lost the lanky woman ten miles back, his victory guaranteed. He was already nearing the beach exactly opposite of the starting line. That beach would be the finish line. He kept on skipping, until he sensed an approaching runner. 'Damn.' He thought. He broke into a fast run to stay ahead.

XxXxXxX

"More! More!" Hinari cried out loud, Kyuubi's chakra pouring through her coils.

**"Anymore and you'll be poisoned!"** Kyuubi responded.

"I don't care, I have to finish. I've never lost, and I won't now." Hinari responded. Kyuubi reluctantly relented and gave her more chakra. Hinari kept on moving, she ignored the pain that was beginning to creep up her legs, slowly, but surely.

XxXxXxX

People were cheering him on. They were blissfully unaware of the powerful being not to far behind. He was so close to finishing, but the pressure of whatever was behind him made him freeze, rather than move faster. It was the girl, the girl from Konoha. It was frightening, to think that one girl, one insignificant twelve year old girl could catch him so quickly, and have so much power rolling off of her. Everyone gasped. Hinari let out a roar and vaulted over the man with ease. She came to a slow stop at the finish line. Hinari had beaten him.

Breathing heavily, Hinari calmed, and Kyuubi's chakra stopped flowing. Hinari knelt on the ground and wiped away some sweat from her chin.

"Hinari-san! Hinari-san!" Ichiro came running up to her. "You did it Hinari-san, you won!" He cried excitedly. Hinari stood up and faced the man she had just beaten, even thought it was just by a small margin. Hinair winced and collapsed to the ground. "Hinari-san, what's wrong?" Ichiro asked.

"My-my legs." Hinari tried to move her legs, but they refused to move. She winced. "Why won't they move?" Hinari tried again, but cried out in pain. The pain was unbearable. Before, she could barely feel it. She'd been so focused that she couldn't tell that her muscles were becoming strained. 'Kyuubi-san, what's wrong with my legs?'

**"You overworked them. The muscles are torn pretty badly."**

'What do I do?'

"We need a doctor over here!" Ichiro called out. No one stepped forward.

"Yamamoto Ichiro." Ichiro looked up to see the squat man still dragging the woman along. "Your representative from Konoha has completed the race and finished first. So, that being said," the man drew out a short sword. "If I cannot have her, no one shall!" He cried, about to drive the blade into the woman's body.

"No!" Hinari forced herself to move, and took the blow. The man let go the blade in shock. Hinari collapsed, the sword protruding from her shoulder.

"Hinari-san!" Ichiro pulled the blade out and tossed it aside.

"Heh, I don't think that was a good idea." Hinari said. She was in so much pain, she was certain that she was going to lose consciousness. Ichiro picked up the sword and released his fiancée from her bonds. She hugged him, and then turned to Hinari.

"Thank you very much, you saved me. I will do what I can for you." The woman's hands glowed green with chakra and began to heal Hinari's injuries.

'She's a medic?' Hinari thought as she collapsed.

XxXxXxX

Hinari sat up in surprise. She looked around and found herself back at Ichiro's house. But what really surprised her was that Asuma was there, sitting in a chair beside her bed. "A-Asuma-san, what are you doing here?"

"Yamamoto-san's soon to be wife was a medic from Konoha. If not for her, you'd be in worse shape."

"That didn't answer my question."

"I know it didn't, I was getting to that. They called in someone to pick you up. They said that your legs are in pretty bad shape, no walking on them for at least three weeks." He said. Hinari flopped down onto the bed and groaned.

"This sucks already." She muttered. Asuma laughed at her.

"Oh well, deal with it. It's not like the damage is permanent."

"I suppose." Hinari sat up again. "When are we leaving?" She asked.

"Well, we've got a couple more days until you've got your energy back, and then we head out. But you won't be walking."

"Then how am I supposed to do anything then?"

"I'm carrying you back."

"All the way back?"

"Yep."

"Yay." Hinari said sarcastically. Asuma chuckled.

"Don't be like that Hinari. I'm sure once Uchiha-san takes a look at you, you'll be back on your feet in no time."

"I hope so." Hinari stared at the ceiling for a little bit.

XxXxXxX

"Thank you again, Hinari-san for saving me." Ichiko, Ichiro's fiancée said.

"Oh, no thank you, you did heal me Ichiko-san." Hinari was being carried on Asuma's back. He was surprisingly strong. He wasn't of a large build, but he didn't seem to be having difficulty carrying Hinari. Even Takuro would eventually tire out from carrying her. "Well, good luck you two, and good-bye." Hinari said as they set out.

"I hope you get better Hinari-san!" Ichiro called to her. Hinari waved an arm to show that she'd heard him.

"I wouldn't be surprised if that friend of yours has a fit when you come back injured." Asuma said.

"Which friend would you be referring to?"

"That boy, what was his name, Ta-Ta-Ta-something." He said.

"Takuro? I wouldn't be surprised either, he'll probably lecture me too if I let him." Hinari said. Asuma laughed.

"You guys are pretty weird for your age."

"Like your not?"

"Hmm, I guess your right."

"How do you know Tsubaki anyway?"

"Her father was my mentor since I was a child. He used to tell me stories about my father. He died before I was born so I never knew him. I consider Tsubaki and Shikatarou to be like my little brother and sister. Their father was my father figure. He always said that he'd promised my father that he'd take care of me, when I needed it, in his place. I guess he has."

"Oh, that's kind of Shikamaru-sensei. I guess you're lucky, that there was someone to tell you what your father was like. What about your mother?"

"Mom's a retired. She claims that she's gotten too old for the field. Pretty much true, once some shinobi reach a certain age, they just don't do too well anymore."

"Except for the Kages. They get pretty old, but they still fight as well as they did in their younger days." Hinari put in.

"That's true. Do you now anything about your parents Hinari?"

"Just a little bit. From what Hikaru-sensei has told me, also whatever Takuro's parents tell me. They used to be father's teammates. I don't remember who mother's former teammates were."

"At least you know who they are right?"

"Yeah, that's all that matters." Hinari said.

XxXxXxX

"Hinari! What the hell did you do this time? We can't leave you alone for one second without getting injured!" Takuro lectured. Hinari rolled her eyes. Asuma had been taking her to the hospital when Takuro had spotted them.

"I told you he'd lecture me." Asuma chuckled.

"Let's get you to the hospital" Asuma walked off, Hinari still on his back.

"Hey! Hinari! Are you listening to me! I'm not done yet!" Takuro's voice rose to an annoying girlish sound.

"Shut up Takuro, you sound like a little girl." Hinari said. He stopped talking; his hand came up to his neck where his vocal chords were located. Hinari laughed at him. "Hurry up Asuma-san, before he recovers."


	25. Chapter 25: Boredom

Hinari

Chapter 25

Sakura Hanamoto

Hinari was bored out of her mind. Sakura had forbidden her from walking around, and as an end result she was trapped in the hospital, again. She was staring out the window, watching the clouds go by when she heard a knock on the door.

"Come in." The door opened and Arashi entered, leaning heavily on a cane Sakura had given her. "Arashi-'nee-chan! Wow, you can already walk all the way down here?"

"Yep! I'm proud of myself, but this cane makes me feel like an old woman." Arashi smiled. Arashi pulled chair closer to the bed and sat down. She let the cane rest on her lap. "So, how are you feeling?" Arashi asked.

"I hate hospitals." Hinari muttered darkly.

"How do you think I feel? I've been here for three years." Arashi said.

"That's true. So I have no right to complain." Hinari smiled.

"Can you tell me about your team?" Arashi asked.

"Oh, okay. First there's, Hikaru-sensei, she's one of our cousins. She's really nice and a good teacher. She used to be part of the Interrogation Squad. She quit to be a teacher, so she can be scary sometimes. Then, Tsubaki, she's a Nara. But she isn't lazy, and she has a scary temper. Don't make her angry otherwise she could cripple you. She always complains about her height because she's the shortest. I used to be; but I grew, so I'm taller now. Don't poke fun at her height. And then, there's Takuro. Takuro's a nice guy, but he can get annoying sometimes. His voice sounds really funny right now. It started cracking during my last mission, so whenever he starts talking I can't help but laugh because it sounds so funny." Hinari said.

"Isn't Takuro that boy I met during the Chuunin Exam?"

"I think so, if you were sitting with Sakura-san you probably did." Hinari said.

"He's nice; he looks like he'll grow up to be rather handsome. Does he have fangirls?"

"Yeah, but Tsubaki chases them away, they piss her off." Arashi laughed.

"I'm surprised you don't." Hinari blushed a bit.

"I've no way of doing it like she can. She swings her fan and they blow away, they're all really light since half of them are anorexic or something." Someone knocked on the door. "Come in." Takuro and Tsubaki stuck their heads inside. "Hey guys." They stepped inside. Arashi stood up and gave Hinari a wink.

"Well, I'll see you later Hinari." Arashi leaned on her cane and hobbled back to her room the next floor up.

"Was that Arashi-san?" Takuro asked.

"Yeah."

"How do you know her?" He asked. Hinari almost flinched at the question.

"She's my neighbor." Hinari responded. It was scary how easy it was to lie to him.

"Really? She looks a little young to be using a cane." Tsubaki commented.

"Oh, she broke her leg a while back, she's working on getting her leg back into shape and the cane helps relieve a bit of the pressure. That's what she told me at least." Hinari said. It wasn't a complete lie at least.

"I see." Tsubaki moved towards the door. "I'll see you two later; Mom wants to drag me off to Suna with her for some reason." Tsubaki rolled her eyes.

"See you." Hinari gave her a wave. Takuro sat down in the chair previously occupied by Arashi.

"So, how are your legs?" He asked.

"They itch. Your mother insisted in wrapping them so that I don't move them, and material chafes my skin. And I can't quite scratch." She said.

"Where does it itch?" Hinari pointed her calf. Takuro managed to dig a finger under the bandage and scratched her leg, but Hinari broke into laughter.

"That tickles stop!" She cried. Takuro stopped. "That's hardly scratching."

"Sorry. But I didn't think you were ticklish."

"I try to keep that to myself." She stated. Hinari lay back down and looked out the window. She heard Takuro shift his position. Hinari closed her eyes for a second, but that gave Takuro an opening. Before she knew it, she'd burst into laughter as he tickled her ribs.

"You should have kept that to yourself."

"St-stop! That tickles!" Hinari fell into another fit of laughter. She tried to get away from him, but he held her down carefully. "T-Takuro! Stop!" Hinari began to gasp for breath. "Can't…breath!" She gasped, and he stopped.

"Sorry." He apologized quickly.

"Ahem." They turned to see Sakura leaning against the door. "I'm not interrupting am I?" She asked.

"N-no." Takuro stood up. "See you later Hinari." He waited for his mother to move, and then slipped out the door.

"So, feeling better?"

"My legs itch." Hinari said.

"Okay, well I guess I can take those bandages off." Sakura stepped forward and carefully picked up Hinari's leg and unwrapped it. Hinari quickly began scratching.

"That feels a lot better."

"Just be glad you weren't wearing a cast. Those are hell." Sakura laughed.

"I guess so."

"So what's going on with you and Takuro?" Sakura asked. Hinari sighed.

"Why is everyone asking me this question lately?" She asked out loud.

"Because you two just look so cute together." Sakura replied.

"Yeah, but that doesn't mean anything."

**"You're denying it again Hinari."**

'Quiet you. You're not helping!'

"It certainly looks like it means something."

"But I don't," Hinari halted. "I-I do like him, but we're just friends." Sakura smiled.

"You guys are still young. It'll work out, they almost always do."

"If you say so."

"I do say so, besides, not a single one of those stupid fangirls hold a candle to you. Can't believe I used to be one of them." Sakura added.

"You used to be a fangirl?"

"I was one of Sasuke's. Now I'm his wife." Sakura giggled a bit. "I need to get going and check on Arashi-chan. Remember what I told you about not moving your legs too much."

"I won't forget." Hinari replied. Sakura left and Hinari was alone, and bored. Hinari was sick of the hospital. She spent so much time there that it was like a second home to her. 'I'm really starting to hate this place.' She thought.

XxXxXxX

Takuro and Sasuke stood facing each other; they were out in the forests outside the village. "This is going to be one of the last techniques I will teach you. Once you've learned the last one, you're on your own. This technique is powerful. Performed correctly, you can kill someone in a single blow. But this technique is to never ever be used against a companion." Sasuke seemed to momentarily blank out after this statement.

"Dad?" Sasuke shook his head.

"Sorry, anyway, if you were to use this technique, more than likely, it will lead to your ruin, as well as kill them. I learned that the hard way."

"What do you mean?"

"I nearly killed my best friend with this technique." Sasuke said. Takuro remained silent. He highly doubted that he'd have to use it against Hinari or Tsubaki. "First, a demonstration." Sasuke formed a few seals. He gripped his right wrist, tightly. Takuro could feel an immense gathering of chakra. Then a piercing sound struck him. Something that sounded like a thousand chirping birds. Takuro watched as Sasuke's hand became super charged with chakra; his hand glowed brightly and flashed like lightning. Sasuke charged into a tree and thrust his hand into it. "Chidori!" Takuro stared in awe as his father yanked his hand out of the tree.

"That's incredible!" Takuro exclaimed.

"Okay, let's get started." Sasuke said turning towards his son. Takuro nodded enthusiastically.

XxXxXxX

Hinari sat in bed attempting to form the Rasengan without a clone. The task was proving to be difficult. She had managed to get it into the spherical shape, but it was highly unstable. The first time she tried she knocked a nurse out of the door on accident as she was entering. She had long since memorized the directions and diagrams on the scroll her father had left behind, but even he had needed the assistance of clones to form the ordinary Rasengan, even as the Hokage.

"Come on," Hinari muttered as she tried to picture her chakra rotating in several different directions. Finally, the sphere stabilized and she was able to retain the shape for over a minute with intense concentration. "Yes!" She cried. Hinari let the chakra disperse slowly so that the backlash didn't call any attention to herself. All she had to do now was master the final step and she'd have it completed. Hinari found that she was tired from working on the Rasengan. She lay down and fell asleep quickly.

XxXxXxX

"Dad? Why did you use the Chidori against your best friend?" Takuro asked. The two were camping out since it was easier than walking back and forth. Takuro lay in his sleeping bag, rolled over onto his stomach. Sasuke turned over to look at his son properly.

"It's a very long story, are you sure you want to hear it?" He asked.

"Yeah, I'm curious."

"All right then. I'll try to keep it short, you look pretty tired. The beginning would be, about twenty-five years ago, when I was seven. My older brother, Itachi massacred the entire clan to 'measure his capacity'. That's what his reasoning was. He left me alive, he told me that when I had the same eyes that he did, that I would be able to kill him in revenge. He meant by, when I'd obtained the Mangekyou-Sharingan. Five years later, I graduated from the Academy and was stuck on the team with the 'dead-last' of the class, Uzumaki Naruto. He's Hinari's father. We hated each other, always challenging the other to do better. Our rivalry got to a point where I realized that he had surpassed me. He'd grown in leaps and bounds. He'd learned two new techniques in less than three months, when I'd only learned one. I was jealous, I wanted to be stronger." Sasuke paused.

"When we first took the Chuunin Exam, I was marked by a man named Orochimaru. That mark is still with me today." Sasuke pulled on the collar of his shirt. Takuro could barely make out a strange marking on the back of his father's neck. "That mark was a promise of power. When I knew that Naruto had become so much stronger, I defected. I left this village and joined Orochimaru to gain the power I wanted. But in order to leave, I had to get passed my teammates. Sakura begged me to stay. I refused and knocked her out so that she couldn't tell anyone where I was. Then, Naruto was still in my way. We fought; it was a fight to the death. We each used out most powerful techniques on each other. That's when I nearly killed him. At the last second I stopped and mortally wounded him instead."

"Why did you change your mind?" Takuro asked.

"Because, one of the requirements to gain the Mangekyou-Sharingan is to kill your best friend. I saw Naruto as my best friend, but I refused to stoop as low as my brother to gain that power. When Naruto was unconscious I joined Orochimaru for nearly three years. Then I killed him and set out to kill Itachi. I failed, but swore not to kill him unless necessary."

"And that's what you did last summer." Takuro finished for him. Sasuke nodded.

"Get some sleep Takuro, you look like you need."

"Okay, good night Dad." Takuro turned over and fell asleep immediately.

XxXxXxX

Hinari awoke to find two pairs of green eyes staring at her. One was framed by pink hair, the other by black. "Takuro? Sakura-san?" She pushed herself up slowly.

"We were wondering when you were gonna wake up silly." Takuro tapped her lightly on the head.

"What going on?" She asked.

"You're being discharged today, or did you forget that I told you already?" Sakura asked.

"Why's Takuro here?"

"I'm here to make sure you can walk home okay." He answered with a wide grin. His voice was still randomly cracking when he spoke, and Hinari was still having trouble not laughing at him every time it did. Sakura turned to Takuro.

"Shoo, out, out." He shoved him out the door so that Hinari could get changed.

"You don't have to push."

"Damn straight I do." Sakura slammed the door in his face. "Go ahead and change Hinari." She said. Hinari got up and stretched carefully. It felt good to be on her feet again. She walked over to the closet and changed into her clothes.

"My jacket isn't in here." Hinari said when she finished.

"Hmm, it's pretty cold outside now that it's December. You can always ask Takuro for his if you get too cold, I'm sure he won't mind." Sakura said.

"Uh, okay." Hinari pulled on her sandals and opened the door. Takuro was next to it leaning against the wall.

"Ready to go?"

"Yeah, let's go. Bye Sakura-san!"

"I don't want to see you back here for at least a month Hinari! You got that!"

"Yeah." Hinari laughed as she and Takuro walked through the halls. Sakura picked up Hinari's chart and signed her name at the bottom.

"She's almost as bad as her dad. Really, if that Kyuubi supposedly heals her injuries, she'd be here the least." She muttered.

XxXxXxX

Hinari shivered, it was colder than it looked. The sky was clear and the sun was shining, but it was still cold. "Here." Takuro draped his jacket over her shoulders.

"Thanks." Hinari pulled her arms through the sleeves. "So what have you been doing lately?"

"Training, Dad taught me a new technique! It's really cool!" He smiled at her.

"I learned a new one too, but I'm not done with it yet. There are two major steps into completing it. I've gotten to the second one, but I need a lot more time to get it worked out." She said.

"That's good, I guess." Hinari found herself staring at him for a second.

"Your voice is starting to settle down." She said off-handedly.

"Really?" He asked. His hand came up to where his voice box was.

"Yeah, it sounds nice." An uncomfortable silence fell over the pair.

"I wonder what Tsubaki's doing in Suna." Takuro thought aloud.

"Did she say when she was supposed to get back?" Hinari asked.

"No, shouldn't be much longer. Now that you're out of the hospital, we can go back on missions now." Hinari nodded. They came to Hinari's apartment building. Hinari knocked on Etsuko's door.

"Etsuko-'baa-chan, can I have my key back now?" Hinari asked.

"Oh, yes of course." Etsuko shuffled back into her apartment and began to look around for Hinari's key. "Now, where did I leave it? Oh yes, now I remember." Etsuko moved into the kitchen and opened up a cookie jar. She reached inside and came out with Hinari's key.

"Thank you." Hinari took her key and walked up the stairs to her apartment. Hinari removed Takuro's' jacket and gave it back to him. "Thanks for walking me home."

"No problem." He gave her a flourished bow then took the stairs two at a time as he left. Hinari giggled.

'He's so weird sometimes.' She thought.

**"You're the one making him act like that."** Kyuubi said.

'What makes you say that?' Kyuubi chuckled.

"**You should have seen the way your father behaved when he was with your mother. He became a danger to himself when he was. He'd get so nervous sometimes that he'd run into telephone poles, and even doors." **

'Seriously?'

**"Seriously. One time he ran into a door, and then someone pushed the door open and crushed him."**

'Wow.'

**"Thing's are only going to get weirder as you get older."**

'Whatever you say.' Hinari flopped down onto her bed and sighed. 'This, puberty thing sucks.' She thought.

"Hey, Hinari, you're home!" Hinari turned her head to see fox sibs sitting at one end of her bed.

"How long have you guys been in here?"

"A couple days. We knew you were in the hospital, and it's getting pretty cold out in the forest so we decided to move in here. Is that okay?" Akagane asked.

"Yeah, that's fine. But please, go outside when nature calls."

"Of course." Kai said.

"I'm finally out of the hospital and I'm still bored!" Hinari sat up and gave a sigh.

"You want to learn something new?" Umi asked.

"Why not? If it passes the time, I'm in."

"Okay, I'm going to teach you some of the basics of herb lore. It's easier if we were out in the forest, but, I can teach you some basic plant names. Maybe tomorrow I can show you out in the forest." Umi suggested.

"Sounds like a plan. Tsubaki should be back by the day after tomorrow, so I'll be out in the field again, but we can get plenty done tomorrow." Hinari said.

"Perfect. This can be useful, but honestly, it's not as good as medical techniques, they're faster. Healing with the use of herbs takes time so it isn't practiced too much anymore."

"But it's a good thing to know, because you never know what will happen, right?"

"Exactly." Hinari lay down; the sun was already setting, surprisingly enough.

'That much time has passed already? Oh well, at least I was somewhat occupied.' She thought. Hinari changed into pajamas and fell asleep quickly.

XxXxXxX

Takuro leaned against a tree, he was breathing heavily and worn out. 'Once more.' He thought. Forming seals, he gripped his wrist, and charged at an unmarked tree. "Chidori!" He cried, thrusting his hand into the tree. He yanked his hand back out, and was satisfied at the size of the whole he'd made. Stumbling, he headed back to the village to get some sleep.

XxXxXxX

Tsubaki watched as the sun set over the desert beyond Suna. 'It looks much prettier here than in Konoha. Or maybe it's because I've never watched the sunset from anywhere else but Konoha.' She thought. Tsubaki picked up her fan and headed back into her room.

"Tsubaki! Dinner's ready!" She heard her aunt call from down the stairs. Tsubaki walked down the stairs to see Gaara's wife serving dinner to Temari and Yasha.

"Uncle Gaara working late?"

"He's been swamped with paperwork for the last week. At least he doesn't have to worry about sleep so much." She replied.

'Oh yeah, Uncle Gaara's something of an insomniac. He only really sleeps like once a month or something, out of habit he says.' Tsubaki sat down and ate.

"We're heading back tomorrow Tsubaki, so make sure to pack your things." Temari told her daughter.

"All right." Tsubaki smiled. 'I wonder how Takuro and Hinari are holding up. Hopefully, they've started talking to each other again. That was pretty annoying.'

"How's Hinari doing?" Yasha asked.

"The same, being reckless and landing herself in the hospital for injuries that are normally avoidable." Tsubaki replied. "Come to think of it, Hinari's been in the hospital the most compared to all our friends."

"Is she accident prone?"

"No, she's just a magnet for trouble." Yasha chortled. Tsubaki went on eating, thinking on how her friends were getting along without her to referee for them.

**A/N: About Gaara sleeping, ya'll know he can't with the the Ichibi sealed in him, but since it isn't I'd assume he can sleep, but doesn't do it often.**


	26. Chapter 26: Winter Wonderland

Hinari

Chapter 26

Sakura Hanamoto

Hinari opened her eyes to a not so blinding light filtering in through her window. She looked carefully and saw that the sky was overcast. 'Looks like rain.' She though. Hinari attempted to sit up but found that six large lumps of fur prevented her from doing so. "Hey guys, wake up already." She nudged the nearest one. When curled up, the six siblings looked exactly the same, size was the only difference.

"Five more minutes," One of them muttered. Hinari tried not to laugh. She gave each of them a soft shake and they all opened their eyes blearily.

"Time to wake up and seize the day." She said.

"Hinari, we don't wake up this early during the winter." Akagane muttered.

"My house, my rules." Hinari responded. She pushed Yumeka off of her feet and got up and stretched. Hinari wandered into the bathroom and showered. She came out with a towel wrapped around her body and another around her hair. Hinari dug through her dresser and closet to find something to wear. She was about to remove the towel but paused when she noticed all six foxes watching her intently. "Do you mind?" She asked.

"Sorry." Akagane wandered off through the small apartment and settled down in the kitchen with his siblings. Hinari finished dressing and dried her hair off and moved into the kitchen to eat.

"You guys want something to eat?" She asked them.

"No, we'll get our own." Kai responded. Hinari opened the door and they slipped out one by one, she watched them through the window as they made their way out of the village. Hinari looked through her refrigerator for food. With a sigh she closed the door.

"Nothing, I'll just get some ramen." Hinari put her sandals on and headed out. She plodded down the street headed towards Ichiraku. 'Haven't had any in quite sometime.' She thought as she approached the small stand. She stepped over the threshold to find four other costumers already there.

"Good morning Hinari-chan." Ayame greeted her with a smile. Hinari sat down at one of the stools.

"Good morning Ayame-san." Hinari responded.

"Haven't seen you here in a while, so what'll it be?" Ayame asked.

"Shrimp please." Hinari said.

"Coming right up." Ayame continued making ramen for one of the other costumers, a tall man in his forties with silver hair and a mask covered most of his face. He also wore a bandana around his forehead and over one eye. Ayame set the bowl down in front of him. "Here you go Kakashi-san." Ayame instantly began work on Hinari's bowl.

"Thanks." Hinari heard the man named Kakashi mutter. Hinair wondered how he planned on eating with that mask on. Kakashi was reaching up to pull the mask on when he stopped. He turned to Hinari. "Do you mind?" He asked in a dull tone.

"Oh, sorry." Hinari looked away in embarrassment. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw the mask be pulled down and the ramen disappeared in an incredible rate. Before she knew it, he was done eating.

"That was good." He murmured. He left some money on the counter, stood and walked away. The other three costumers were people Hinari didn't recognize. But she could hear them talking.

"You think Sasuke's around today?" One asked. There were two men, one considerably larger than the other, and a woman with an interesting hair-cut.

"Why wouldn't he be? I hear that he rarely leaves the village anymore." The larger man said.

"I heard his oldest graduated last June." The woman added. "But why'd he pick that Sakura over me?" She wined. Both men laughed at her.

"Simple, she doesn't cling." The smaller man said.

"Shut up, Suigetsu!" She woman punched him in the arm.

"Here you go Hinari-chan." Hinari's attention was pulled away from the three adults when her ramen was set in front of her.

"Thanks." Hinari immediately set about eating her breakfast in large gulps. When she was done, she paid for it and left, the three adults still arguing amongst themselves. Hinari wandered around for a little bit until she ran into Takuro.

"Morning Hinari, how are you this morning?" He asked.

"I'm fine, a little bored." Hinari responded. "You look like you didn't get much sleep." She commented.

"That would be because I didn't." He told her. "But I'll be fine. Good thing we aren't on duty until Tsubaki gets back."

"Yeah, but it's so boring without a mission to complete."

"Got that right."

"Hey looks, it's Takuro!" Takuro and Hinari looked to see the three adults that had been at Ichiraku.

"You know these guys?" Hinari asked him.

"Somewhat, old friends of Dad's." He responded. The smaller man with the freaky teeth ruffled Takuro's hair.

"Jeez, you look more and more like your dad every time I see you Takuro." He commented. "At least you don't act like him at least."

"What are you guys doing here, Suigetsu-san?" Takuro asked.

"Just came by to visit, after all, we can go where we want anyway." The larger man said. "Where is your dad anyway?" He asked.

"He should be in his office at the police force headquarters." Takuro responded.

"Sasuke-kun is busy, as usual." The woman said, with a hint of contempt in her voice.

"What's wrong with Karin-san?" Takuro asked.

"She's still bitter that your father married Sakura instead of her." Suigetsu told him. Takuro raised an eyebrow. It was then that the three noticed Hinari.

"That your girlfriend?" The large man asked.

"Juugo-san!" Takuro flushed at the question.

"What? It's just a question." Juugo laughed at him. "Besides, it's not an embarrassing question. Is she?" Hinari was indeed embarrassed by the question.

"No." Takuro replied.

"What's your name?" Juugo asked Hinari.

"U-Uzumaki Hinari." She answered. Juugo's size was intimidating.

"Uzumaki? You mean like, Rokudaime Hokage Uzumaki?" Suigetsu asked.

"Yes, he was my father."

"Don't look much like him, except for the eyes." Karin commented, pushing her glasses up.

"Uh, weren't you guys going to see my Dad?" Takuro asked.

"Oh, right, see you around Takuro." Suigetsu began to walk off, and the other two followed.

"They're a little weird." Hinari muttered.

"Yeah, definitely." Silence prevailed between them for a moment. "So," Takuro trailed off, failing to find something to talk about. 'Is there anything you want to do?" He asked her. Hinari shrugged.

"Not really, didn't really think about it." Hinari responded.

"This sucks, day just started and we're already bored." Takuro sighed and scratched the back of his head.

"Takuro, Hinari!" They turned to see Iruka running up to them.

"The Hokage wishes to see both of you." He told them.

"Now?" Hinari asked.

"Yes, now." He told her. The two glanced at each other and followed Iruka up to the Hokage's office.

XxXxXxX

"Are you sure we're allowed to go on a mission by ourselves?" Hinari asked the Hokage.

"It's a low C-rank; there shouldn't be any difficulties with it." He responded.

"Why isn't Hikaru-sensei coming with us?" Takuro asked.

"There is a rumor flying through the villages that needs investigating, it concerns Konoha greatly, Hikaru is out helping with the investigations." Konohamaru told them. "You head out today at noon." He said. Hinari and Takuro nodded and left.

"Well, at least we won't be bored." Takuro said.

"Yeah, I guess. See you later." Hinari said as she headed back to her apartment to prepare for their mission. 'Great, a mission, just me and Takuro, alone. Why?' She thought in despair.

**"You're not happy?"**

'Am I supposed to be?'

**"Well, since he is the object of your affections, I would think you would be."**

'I'm not like those creepy fangirls, in case you haven't noticed. Which brings up a good question.'

**"What would that be?"**

'Why have I not seen very many lately?'

**"Maybe they figure that they can't get near him, what with you and Tsubaki chasing them off in annoyance."**

'That's a good point. But Tsubaki isn't around, they'd be all over him, not that I'd let them get away with that.'

**"Uh-huh, well, carry on with your packing."** Hinari packed what she felt would be necessary and headed out towards the West Gate.

'We're headed north, great, cold weather, and its winter to boot!' Hinari was not happy about this. Hinari pushed her sleeves down so that they came down to her wrists and stuffed her hands in her pockets. She was ready for the weather that may come, including an olive drab cloak stuffed into her backpack, as well as a scarf. By the time she reached the gate, I light snow was falling. 'And here I thought it was going to rain.' She thought dismally. It hardly snowed in Konoha to start with, but it made her even more miserable when it did. It only snowed every few years, the last time it had, she was five and it had been Hell on Earth for her.

"Hinari!" Takuro was already waiting, his shorts switched for a pair of pants, and athletic tape wrapped around his arms completely.

"Let's just get going already." Hinari muttered. Takuro realized that she wasn't in the best of moods and decided to leave her alone. The two headed out in silence, and boredom. They didn't see the point of a C-rank mission where they had to actually leave the country.

XxXxXxX

By sundown, there was a good layer of snow on the ground and Hinari had been muttering a string curses for the past hour. Apart from the crunch of their shoes on the snow, Hinari's soft voice was the only thing that broke the silence.

"Hinari," Takuro said softly.

"What!" She snapped. Takuro winced from the volume of her voice.

"Its getting dark, maybe we should just stop here for the night." He suggested.

"Oh, okay." Hinari removed her backpack. "Sorry for snapping at you."

"Its okay, no need to apologize." Takuro gave her a smile as they began to set up a small camp. Hinari managed to clear enough snow to get a fire going while Takuro set up a tent. "We'll be better off in the same tent, we won't freeze that much that way." He explained to her. Hinari nodded and drew a kunai. Without much trouble, she threw it and speared a rabbit. Akagane and Umi appeared soon, the other four not far behind.

"Thanks for chasing it out for us guys." Hinari said and she skinned and cleaned the rabbit.

XxXxXxX

Hinari rolled over onto her side, she could faintly see Takuro's outline as he slept just a couple of feet away from her. Luckily for her, he didn't snore too much. She rolled onto her back and closed her eyes. Hinari snuggled farther into her sleeping bag to stay warm and eventually fell asleep.

XxXxXxX

Takuro awoke to feel something resting on his chest. He lifted his head up to see that it was an arm, attached to a shoulder that belonged to Hinari. At some point during the night, she rolled over, closer to him and had curled up against him. He picked her arm up and got up, leaving her to continue sleeping for a little while longer. He got the fire going again and he shivered, it had snowed even more the night before so that his feet sank into it even farther than the day before. Once the fire was going strong, he went back into the tent and woke Hinari up.

"Hey, wake up, come on." He shook her gently. Hinari simply rolled onto her stomach and murmured something he couldn't quite hear. Takuro couldn't figure out how to wake her up when Yumeka bounded into the tent and crawled into Hinari's sleeping bag. Hinari began to fidget, as Yumeka moved about inside. Finally Hinari began to laugh and she woke up.

"Y-Yumeka, stop it!" She cried. Yumeka popped out of the sleeping bag.

"It woke you up didn't it?" Yumeka asked.

"Yes, but couldn't you have let Takuro do it."

"If I'd done that, we'd be here all day." Takuro glared at the fox. Yumeka bounded out of the tent and was off into the forest.

"Come on Hinari, we have to get going." He said. Hinari got out of her sleeping bag and stretched. They broke camp, ate quickly, put out the fire and were on the road again in no time.

"So, where are we headed again?" Hinari asked. Takuro shrugged.

"Our debriefing was very vague. It said to head north until we came to a small road-side inn. We were supposed to meet someone there."

"Do we have a name for the inn or the person?" Hinari asked.

"No, Hokage-sama said we'd know it when we saw it, and the person will know to come to us. What a crappy mission." Takuro said. A cold wind blew and they both reached into their packs for their cloaks. Hinari's was a tad too long and practically brushed the ground. She also wrapped the scarf loosely around her neck. "Cold?" Takuro asked.

"I hate the cold." Hinari replied.

**"Almost as much as I do."**

'At least _you_ have fur!'

**"That I do." **Kyuubi wasn't doing much to help her, but at lease she was warmer. Hinari rubbed her hands together to keep them warm.

"Here." Takuro handed Hinari some gloves. "I don't need them, but you look like you do." Hinari removed her fingerless gloves and put on the ones Takuro gave her. The fingers were too long, but it wouldn't be a liability to her if she should need the use of her hands. Hinari looked up at Takuro and smiled.

"Thanks."

**"Takuro and Hinari sitting in a tree, K-I-S-S-I-N-G."**

'Shut up! Stupid fur ball!"

**"Fur ball? Fur ball?! Who are you calling a fur ball?!"**

'You!' Hinari grumbled. "Stupid fur ball, starting to piss me off." Takuro snickered.

XxXxXxX

They walked along the road, though they could barely see where they were going since a storm had kicked in and there had been no time to find shelter.

"Hinari! Can you see if we're near the inn?" Takuro called to her over the whistling wind. Hinari concentrated and activated her Byakugan. She blinked once or twice to clear her vision properly, several meters ahead there was indeed an inn.

"We're not too far away from one!" Hinari replied. She stretched her hand out to him. "Give me your hand!" Takuro reached for it, and was just able to grab it. Hinari lead the way through the torrent of wind and snow that assaulted them. Soon they made it to the inn and Takuro yanked the door open. They slipped inside and shut the door. Both of them breathed a sigh of relief at the feeling of warmth that struck them. "Made it." Hinari murmured with a grin.

"Phew, good thing you saw this place, we probably would have gone right passed it." Takuro said.

"Hey kids, what were you doing out in that storm?" An old man with a crooked back asked.

"We got caught in the storm, that's all." Takuro responded.

"I'll assume you want to stay here for the night. Two rooms?" He asked.

"One, two beds." Takuro told him. Hinari blinked and said nothing. When the old man walked off Hinari looked at him. "No one will bug us this way." He told her.

"Good point." Hinari took in the smell of something cooking. "Something smells great. Let's get something to eat." She said.

"Okay." They made their way towards the small and shabby dining area. At one end of the room was a huge fireplace crackling warmly. There were a few other people there, eating or drinking, but no one paid them any more than a moment's attention. They sat down close to the fire to warm themselves up.

"Do you think this person we're supposed to meet up with is here?" Takuro asked.

"I don't know, but hopefully he doesn't take his sweet time getting here, if he isn't here already." At that moment, the old man sauntered up and placed two cups of tea before them.

"Compliments from the gentleman in the corner over there." He nodded towards a man sitting in a shadowed corner, a hood pulled over his eyes. "I'll be back in a moment with two bowls of stew for you kids." The man shuffled away.

"You think that's him?" Hinari asked.

"Maybe, if he is, I don't see why he has to beat around the bush. If does intend on communicating, he could just walk up to us."

"It'd be too conspicuous for him to do that. He's probably just trying to be a bit subtle."

"Hmm, that's true." The old man returned with their food and a scroll for them. Hinari stashed away the scroll and they ate heartily. Hinari even risked a second helping. They finished eating and Hinari felt very sleepy at the moment. She gave a slight yawn.

"Let's turn in, shall we?" Takuro nodded and they got up. Both retreated to their room and shut the door. Takuro went about making sure that no one could listen in on their conversation.

"What's in the scroll?" He asked.

"Directions. It says that there's a small village not too far from here, we have to be there by sundown tomorrow." She said.

"I hate this mission." Takuro muttered. "Jeez, can't they just come out and say what they want to say and be done with it?" He flopped down onto one of the beds. Hinari picked up her backpack and pulled out some clothes.

"Turn around, I need to change." She said. Takuro complied with her request. "All right, you can look." She told him once she was finished. Hinari pulled her hair out of its braid and set the decoration aside and curled up into the sheets. "Good night Takuro." She murmured as she fell asleep.

"Good night." Takuro stayed awake for several more hours, keeping an eye out, just in case. He could hear the storm dying down outside, and he was glad for it. At least they didn't have to worry about the storm slowing their progress the next day, unless it came back. Eventually Takuro's weariness got the best of him, he changed and crawled beneath the sheets of his bed and fell asleep as well. He didn't notice a shadow pass by the window, it was too dark to.


	27. Chapter 27: Trap

Hinari

Chapter 27

Sakura Hanamoto

Hinari placed her ear to the door and listened for a moment. Once she was certain that there was no one around, she nodded to Takuro and swung the door open. The pair slipped out of the door to their room and headed out of the small inn silently, leaving some money behind for the old man.

"So, we head to this village, and then what?" Takuro asked her as they walked along the road. The storm had cleared but the sky was threatening to give them another one. Hinari shrugged in response.

"I'm sure we'll get another cryptic message when we get there." She told him. She gave a wide yawn and rubbed the sleep from her eyes.

"Didn't get much sleep?"

"Not really, I kept waking up in the middle of the night. My ears went into overdrive and every little noise woke me up." She said.

"That must suck."

"Yeah, so forgive me if I'm a little slow today."

"That's fine; I'll just have to buck up to make for it." Takuro responded.

"Okay," Hinari stifled a yawn and tugged at her cloak. It was freezing despite the fact that enough clouds had cleared to give them a little sun. "I can't wait until spring already, I've always hated winter."

"How come?" He asked without thinking. He realized his mistake when Hinari's expression saddened.

"I had nothing to keep me warm during the winter time, I was lucky to survive them at all." She said. Takuro remained silent; he'd learned to not speak when she was talking about things like this. "The villagers never gave me anything to protect myself. I wore clothes that didn't fit and were tattered and torn, and I'd sleep in a back alley curled up as tightly as I could to stay warm." Hinari paused. "I don't think I'll ever learn to even remotely like the winter time. People always seem so happy, except for me; it was Hell for me back then. But now, I can kind of understand why people like it. I don't understand completely, but what the hell, you only live once right? I might as well just get over it and learn to cope. After all, those that can't adapt don't live very long." She said the last sentence with a bit of hope in her voice. She looked up at Takuro and grinned. Reaching down, she gathered some snow into her hands and threw it at him. She laughed when it hit him square in the face. He brushed the snow off and growled.

"That wasn't funny."

"Yes it was! That expression is priceless!" Hinari continued to laugh until she was hit on the side of the head with a snowball. She stopped laughing and shook the snow out of her hair. Takuro was already aiming at her with another snowball. Hinari ducked and grabbed another handful and chucked it. She missed horribly and was caught in the shoulder with one. Finally, Takuro just dove at her and shoved her into the snow. They rolled around for a second, and then lay there, still laughing and looking up at the sky. Takuro turned away from the sky and studied Hinari's features. She always seemed so closely guarded most of the time, but here and now, she'd let the barriers drop and she just seemed like any other kid their age.

"That was fun." Takuro said, gasping for breath.

"Yeah,"

"See, winter can be fun too." Takuro told her, propping up onto one elbow to see her better.

"I guess so, but summer's the best time of year for me." Hinari told him.

"That's only because you're born in the summer time." He said.

"Exactly." Takuro stood up and pulled Hinari to her feet..

"Let's keep going." Hinari nodded and brushed snow off of her clothes.

They continued walking on, stopping only once to eat lunch. Then they kept on going. The sun was just beginning to set when they arrived in the village.

The moment they stepped into the village, Hinari's senses were virtually screaming that something was off. She halted and Takuro stopped as well, sensing her apprehension. Hinari sniffed the air and listened. Her eyes snapped open and she dove to the snow, grabbing Takuro by the collar and pulling him with her. A burly man with a club missed his swing at them. The pair leapt to their feet and were on the defensive in a moment.

"It was a trap." Hinari hissed as she ducked out of the way.

"Should have known." Takuro used a kunai to block another man that came in with a shovel in his hands. More and more men were appearing and began to beat them down. "Hinari, look out!" Takuro called, but it was too late, the man with the shovel knocked Hinari over the head, knocking her out. Takuro soon followed her.

XxXxXxX

Hinari's eyes opened to darkness. "Where am I?" She murmured, she winced as she felt a dull throbbing in the back of her head. She brought her hand up and touched it gingerly. Hinari shifted position and heard a rattling. Feeling about on the ground, she realized that she was shackled by her ankles to the wall she partially leaned against. She noticed a second pair of feet near her own and realized that it was Takuro. "Takuro, Takuro, wake up." She shook him awake.

"What is it?" He asked.

"I think we've been captured." She told him.

"Great," Takuro shifted slightly. "We've been completely unarmed, but at least they let us keep our cloaks to stay warm."

"Oh how kind of them." Hinari said in a bitter tone. After a few moments of silence, they heard footsteps approaching. They door of the cell they were in opened and the burly man that had initially attacked them entered. He removed Takuro's shackles and dragged him out of the cell.

"H-Hinari!" He called out to her.

"Let go of him!" She cried, but the man ignored her and dragged Takuro down the hall, leaving her alone. Hinari gave a growl of agitation and began trying to pull the shackles off. All she succeeded in doing was rubbing her skin raw. She winced, and held still. 'What are they going to do to him?' She asked herself. She was scared, and felt absolutely helpless.

XxXxXxX

Takuro struggled in vain against the bonds that held him down to the table. He growled as a scrawny man circled him. "So boy, tell me, who is in charge of the investigations of the rumors that have been running around the hidden villages?" He demanded.

"Like hell I'll tell you." Takuro spat. He had no intention of selling his father out.

"Oh really? Well I'll make sure you talk." The man began forming seals then pressed his fingertips to Takuro's temples as they glowed with chakra. Takuro shut his eyes, but could do nothing to stop it. When his eyes opened again, they looked so dead. Like all the life had been sucked away.

XxXxXxX

Hinari looked up from her curled position when she heard footsteps, the heavily built man returned, but he didn't have Takuro with him. "Where's Takuro?!" She demanded. The man remained silent as he unlocked the cell door and dragged her out. Hinari resisted at first but gave up when she realized that she wouldn't be going anywhere.

Presently, she was dumped onto the floor of a rather large room; she realized that they must have been in a warehouse of some kind. Hinari got to her knees and saw a thinly built man sitting comfortably in a chair, a short sword resting on his lap. Her eyes widened when she saw Takuro standing at attention beside him.

"T-Takuro!" She called to him, but he did not respond in any way or form.

"Don't waste your breath girl; this boy is under my complete control. He answers to me, and only me." Hinari ground her teeth.

'No visible exits, but I wouldn't leave anyway, not without Takuro.' She thought miserably.

"So, what is your name?" The man asked her. Hinari remained silent. The man then turned to Takuro. "What is the girl's name?" He asked him.

"Uzumaki Hinari." Hinari gasped, his voice sounded so dead. But only that but his eyes had lost any life they normally held.

"What is she to you?"

"She is my best friend." Takuro replied.

"Who is she?"

"An orphan of Konoha, and the container to the-," The rest of the sentence was cut off by Hinari who screamed loudly to drown out his voice.

"Repeat." The man snapped.

"No! Takuro, don't! You know the law! Please!" She pleaded with Takuro, but her wishes fell on deaf ears.

"She is the container to the Nine-Tail Demon, Kyuubi." Takuro said.

"Hmm, that is fascinating. Tell me more about her."

"She is the child of Uzumaki Naruto, the former Rokudaime Hokage, and his wife Uzumaki Hinata. She possesses the Byakugan, a powerful doujutsu that she inherited from her mother."

"Takuro! Stop!" Hinari commanded loudly, but he did not. He continued to speak.

'What the hell am I doing?' Takuro thought desperately, he knew what he was doing, but could not control it. 'Dammit! Stop!' He tried to keep his mouth closed, but the technique used on him forced him to continue until he was ordered to stop.

"Stop." Takuro promptly closed his mouth. The man rose and placed the blade in Takuro's hands. "Kill her." He ordered.

'No! Please, don't make me!' Takuro found himself stepping forward, the blade gripped tightly. 'Hinari! Run, please!' But Hinari didn't move a muscle. She was in shock and couldn't bring herself to move. The blade come down, a hairsbreadth away from her face. Hinari had managed to move just in time.

"Takuro, no, please don't." Hinari managed to pull the blade from his hands and she tossed it as far away as possible. Takuro raised his fist and struck her in the stomach. Hinari doubled over in pain.

**"Hinari! Fight back!"** Kyuubi cried.

'No, I can't, I won't.'

**"You'll die!"**

'I don't care, I won't fight back. Takuro's under some kind of mind control. That much I know. If I can somehow break it-.' Hinari's thoughts were interrupted as Takuro's foot made contact with her chest and knocked her backwards. Hinari rose to her feet slowly, only to be tackled. Takuro held her down by sitting on her. Hinari stared up into his eyes, lifeless and unfeeling eyes. She bit her lip and slowly, reached up to him. "Takuro," She spoke his name softly. For a second, Takuro hesitated, but it passed quickly.

'No, no, no! Hinari, I can't stop myself, oh God, don't make me do it. Hinari, I love you.' Takuro began forming a set of seals Hinari had never seen before. Hinari was struck with incredible fear and she managed to get him away from her.

'I can only think of a single solution.' Hinari stood stock still, and spread her arms out. She closed her eyes, and heard the chirping sound that came from the technique Takuro had activated. "Good-bye." She whispered as Takuro dealt the final blow, his hand sinking into her flesh and piercing her heart. She wrapped her arms around him in a tight embrace. Hinari coughed once, blood spurting from her mouth. Takuro pulled his hand from her body and she fell. Hinari was dead.

"NOOO!" He screamed. Takuro sank to his knees and took her into his arms. "Hinari!" He clutched her tightly, her blood staining his clothes. "What have I done?" He wept softly, his tears wetting Hinari's long hair. That's when he heard the laughter. The sound of the man's laughter made him snap. Takuro stood his Sharingan blazing in anger. When the man looked into his eyes, fear crept through him. The boy's eyes held nothing but the want to spill his blood. Takuro's blood red eyes. The three tear drop shapes that made up the Sharingan eyes had morphed and took up the likeness of a pin-wheel.

"N-no, p-please." The man was begging now, wanting to be spared.

"You think I'll let you get away with this?" Takuro's voice was low and dangerous. "You will pay!" Before he realized it, the man before him had been reduced a dribbling vegetable. Takuro turned away and knelt beside Hinari's still form. He removed his cloak and wrapped her in it. He lifted her into his arms and sprinted away from the village.

XxXxXxX

Tsubaki stood by the gate waiting; she'd gotten back the day before and was waiting for Hinari and Takuro to get back. She saw a figure approaching fast. It came closer and she realized that it was Takuro, and he carried Hinari in his arms. "Takuro!" She called to him but he made no reply and ran right by her, he was headed towards the hospital. Tsubaki followed silently.

Takuro burst into the hospital, luckily Sakura was nearby. "Mom!" He called to her.

"Takuro! What is it?" She asked.

"It's Hinari." Sakura was by his side in an instant. It didn't take Sakura long to realize that Hinari was dead.

"Oh my god!" She cried.

XxXxXxX

Hinari walked down a long path, and finally she came to a man sitting at a podium looking somewhat bored. When he noticed her, he leaned forward.

"Well?" He asked.

"Huh?" Hinari was confused.

"What's your name girl?" He asked.

"Uzumaki Hinari, sir." She answered. The man flipped open an impossibly large book.

"Lessee, Uzumaki, Uzumaki, Uzumaki Arashi, Hinata, Naruto." He flipped back to the previous page, and his finger halted. "Oh, here we are. Huh, you're not due for another fifty years." He gave Hinari a scrutinizing look. "Did you go and throw yourself in front of a run away cart or something?" He asked.

"No."

"Then get out of here, I don't want to see you again until you're at least sixty, you hear me girl?"

"Y-yes sir."

"Just go on back the way you came." Hinari nodded and turned around, and walked back the way she came.

XxXxXxX

Takuro paced back in forth, his mother and Shizune were currently attempting to salvage Hinari. 'How could I have killed her? That man got what he deserved, but what did I do to him?' He was so lost in thought that he didn't notice his father walk up to him.

"What happened son?" He asked.

"I killed her." Takuro said quietly. "I'm so sorry father; I used the Chidori on her. I killed her." Takuro sat on one of the benches and buried his face into his hands.

"She was your best friend wasn't she?" Takuro nodded.

"Yes, she was."

"Tell me, after she died, what happened?" Sasuke asked, he had a feeling what had happened afterward, but he had to be sure.

"I blanked out for a second and the man that put me under this mind control technique was rolling around on the ground, drooling, he was a complete vegetable." Takuro said. Sasuke massaged the bridge of his nose.

"I wasn't expecting this so soon." He muttered.

"Expecting what?" Takuro asked.

"For you to get the Mangekyou-Sharingan, at least, not that way." He said.

"Mangekyou-Sharingan?" Takuro was a bit confused.

"The Mangekyou is the highest level of the Sharingan any Uchiha can possibly achieve. The only way to obtain it is to kill your best friend." Sasuke explained.

"So, I have the Mangekyou-Sharingan now?"

"Most likely."

"Do you?"

"Yes."

"You killed your best friend?"

"No, there have only ever been two exceptions. For me, I got it when I killed my older brother. I was protecting you; it's possible that my desire to protect my family allowed me to obtain it. The other exception, well, he isn't saying how." Sasuke told him. At this time, Sakura and Shizune opened the door and stepped outside. Both of their faces were grim.

"I'm sorry; it was too late to save her." Sakura said. Takuro stared at his feet; he was ridden with the guilt of taking the life of the person he loved.

'I killed her. I killed not only my best friend, but someone that I loved.' Takuro felt a hand rest on his shoulder.

"I'm very sorry Takuro; I know you cared about her a great deal." Sakura said softly.

"Can I, can I see her one more time?" He asked. Sakura nodded.

"If you need anything I'll be in my office." She said. Takuro got up and opened the door to the operating room. Hinari lay on the table, a blanket covering her body. He saw that the heart monitor was flat lining still. He pulled the blanket from her face. The blood had been cleaned up, no doubt to prepare her for her funeral. Takuro pulled Hinari's arm out from beneath the blanket and held it tightly.

"I'm sorry Hinari, I couldn't stop myself. If-if I had been able to regain control of myself, you'd still be here right now. If I'd been stronger I could have resisted. It's my fault, it's all my fault." Slowly, some tears fell from his eyes, but he didn't bother wiping them away. He stared at her pale lifeless face. Already he missed her. Takuro leaned forward and kissed her. She was cold, but he didn't care. "I love you." He whispered. He released her hand and was walking away when he heard it. From the heart monitor, there came a fleeting beep. He turned away but the line was flat across the screen. He shook his head. 'Just my imagination.' He had his hand on the doorknob when it happened again. This time he saw it, the line wasn't flat. And there was another beep.


	28. Chapter 28: Life

Hinari

Chapter 28

Sakura Hanamoto

**Okay, review response time! Since I don't normally do this, I'll just do this for the previous two chapters.**

**Icegoddess52: Thank you very much for the compliments. It makes me feel loved.**

**Hinata-the-ANBU: Ehehe, that through for a loop, obviously, nice to know I'm capable of doing that. Thanks for the review!**

**Kiraxsama: Were you expecting that? Or something else? Anyway, glad you liked it.**

Takuro once again passed it off as his imagination and left the room. He closed the door securely and plodded down the hall, his eyes cast at the linoleum floor, shoulders hunched and his hands stuffed into his pockets. He walked by Ino who was coming in to talk to Sakura. Ino paused when she saw Takuro go by. 'He looked almost exactly like Sasuke when we were his age.' She thought. Ino shrugged it off and entered the hospital.

XxXxXxX

A nurse entered the room where Hinari's body was and began work on the death certificate. The nurse stopped writing when she heard the heart monitor give a beep. She watched it for another minute, and it beeped again, the flat line spiking momentarily. She blinked and continued to watch. The longer she watched it, the steadier the heartbeat came. With shaking hands, she nurse pressed a stethoscope to Hinari's chest. Sakura had repaired the tissue there. Sure enough, she faintly heard an irregular heartbeat. Tearing the stethoscope off, the nurse ran out the door for Sakura's office.

"Sakura-sama! Sakura-sama!" She cried as she burst through the door, not even bothering to knock.

"What's wrong?" Sakura asked as she looked up from a stack of paper work.

"It's Uzumaki Hinari! She's alive!" The nurse exclaimed. Sakura's eyes widened and she dropped her pen. She stood up and ran back to Hinari's room. She gave the heart monitor a fleeting glance and pressed her ear to Hinari's chest. If possible, her eyes got even wider.

"I-Impossible!" Sakura stood back and saw a steady rise and fall of Hinari's chest as she breathed. "Never in my twenty years as a medic have I seen anything like this!" Sakura checked all of Hinari's vitals, and then rechecked them just to be sure. Sakura realized that Hinari was stabilizing quickly, but still unconscious, no doubt giving her brain time to recover from the lack of oxygen.

"Sakura-sama?" The nurse spoke softly.

"I really can't believe it; she really did come back to life. It's supposed to be impossible, but it's happened."

"Sakura? What's going on?" Ino asked, sticking her head through the door. Ino saw Sakura staring at the heart monitor.

"She was dead not ten minutes ago. How could it be possible?" Sakura ran her fingers through her hair. "Kaya-san." Sakura turned to the nurse.

"Yes?"

"Burn everything."

"E-excuse me?"

"Burn anything that may suggest that Hinari was ever deceased. Starting," Sakura plucked the death certificate from Kaya's clipboard. "With this." Kaya nodded and went about her business. "Now, I just have to tell Takuro now." Sakura took a deep breath. "That won't be fun."

XxXxXxX

Takuro sat in his room, staring at the ceiling. He'd ignored his sister, and locked her out of his room. He didn't want to be bothered. He rolled over and faced the window, the sun was setting outside and it was snowing, again. There was a knock at his door.

"Go away." He muttered. The door opened and his mother stepped inside.

"Tell you father that the doorknob needs to be fixed." Sakura said, attempting to lighten the atmosphere, it didn't work.

"What do you want?" Takuro asked, not bothering to check his tone.

"I have a surprise for you."

"I don't care." Takuro turned away from his mother.

"Oh, I'm sure you do. Hinari isn't dead." She said.

"That's bullshit."

"Language, Takuro. But I'm not lying. If you want, you can go back to the hospital, she's alive and well." Takuro rolled over to face her.

"I still don't believe you." He said. Sakura frowned.

"Fine, don't be the one to be there when she wakes up so you can apologize for temporarily killing her. Don't blame me when she hates you forever." Sakura opened the door and left. Takuro knew that she was doing that to make him feel bad. But he felt bad enough as it was. If Hinari really was alive, he sure as hell wanted to apologize, face to face.

XxXxXxX

Takuro slowly opened the door and entered the room Hinari had been moved to. He saw her lying on a bed, hooked up to a respirator. He pulled up a chair and sat down. He sat there, simply watching her. He didn't move much, only to get into a more comfortable position. Visiting hours had been over at least an hour ago, but no one had come in to tell him to leave. If he could, he'd stay there all night. Takuro just wanted to stay with Hinari for as long as possible. Eventually, he fell asleep, hunched over in the chair.

XxXxXxX

"Wakey, wakey, eggs and bacey." Takuro woke up to see Tsubaki grinning like a madwoman.

"What time is it?" Takuro asked as he rubbed his eyes.

"Almost noon." She bopped him on the head. Takuro winced but said nothing. "Man, you two are the craziest people I know." Tsubaki said.

"What makes you say that?"

"The fact that you're practically in love with her, and you go and kill her, even if it wasn't for very long."

"I wasn't myself." Takuro said defensively.

"I see. So, what are you going to do when and if she wakes up?" She asked him.

"Apologize."

"That's it? You're not gonna sweep her off her feet or some mushy crap like that?"

"Would that be a good idea?"

"Probably not. You could at least treat her or something." Tsubaki giggled. "You'd make a bad boyfriend."

"Why's that?!" Tsubaki shook her head and patted him on the head.

"Takuro, Takuro, for all the fangirls you've got, you sure are clueless about women."

"I'm not even thirteen yet! Cut me some slack!" Tsubaki laughed again.

"That reminds me, Christmas is just about here. What are you gonna get her?" Takuro shrugged.

"No clue."

"Figures. Oh and by the way, my birthday is next week. Just to remind you." Tsubaki hopped towards the door and opened it. "I'll just leave you two alone now, bye-bye." Tsubaki slipped through the door and shut it. Takuro massaged his neck; he hadn't realized how stiff it was until now.

'What's up with Tsubaki lately?' He thought. Hinari was still asleep, though he figured that she would be for a little while until her body was fully functioning. He sighed and went back to watching Hinari sleep.

After a while, he was starting to get very bored, he wanted to do something, but he didn't want to leave either. After staring out the window for several minutes, he stood up and left to at least go eat something. Takuro trudged towards Ichiraku, he struggled to get through the snow, and it wasn't easy since it nearly came up to his knees. He made it to the small stand and sat down at a stool beside Iruka.

"Oh, hello Takuro, it's been sometime, hasn't it?" Iruka greeted him.

"Hi Iruka-sensei."

"How are Tsubaki and Hinari?" Iruka asked.

"Tsubaki's being a little weird, and Hinari, she-," He didn't finish his sentence, or rather, he didn't want to.

"You can finish that sentence you know, I've always had a feeling you had a soft spot for her." Iruka grinned when Takuro looked away and blushed. "Am I right?" Takuro nodded.

'Does _everyone_ know that I have feelings for her?' He asked himself. Takuro found himself staring into the depths of noodles and broth that sat before him. After a moment of sitting there, he picked up some chopsticks and ate it. The hot ramen warmed him after his trek through the thick snow.

"I wonder why the weather's gone so haywire. It doesn't snow this much here, whenever it does snow." Iruka commented.

"I've never seen anything like it myself." Ayame said as she prepared a bowl for herself. Takuro listened to the conversation between Iruka and Ayame.

"Maybe it has something to do with that report I file a couple weeks ago." Iruka murmured.

"Oh?"

"Yeah, apparently, up in Water Country, an entire clan was wiped out. A powerful one at that." Iruka said.

"What does that have to do with anything?" Takuro asked.

"That clan was known for a kekkei genkai that manipulated water and turned it to ice or snow to use at will. That's what the report said anyway, I don't know how accurate it was. All other major countries were handed the same report to their Kage since the murderer was found dead as well. There weren't any survivors, but the bodies of the two youngest were apparently never found. It's possible, that with the release of their abilities, it's thrown the weather off."

"Oh my, it sounds almost like what happened to the Uchiha clan. Sorry Takuro-kun." Ayame said.

"That's fine, it's the past and there's no need to brood over it." Takuro told her as he finished his bowl. He dug into his pocket and placed some money on the counter "Thanks." He stood up and began his long trudge through the snow back to the hospital.

XxXxXxX

Hinari was still asleep when he got back, but there was a bouquet of lilacs sitting in a vase on the table beside Hinari's bed. Curious, Takuro read the tag tied to one of the stems. "Hope you get better soon, I know how much you hate it in hospitals. A.U." Takuro raised an eyebrow. 'Who the hell left this here?' Frankly, he felt jealous that someone had given Hinari flowers, but whoever did, didn't stick around very long.

"Aw, is someone trying to steal your girlfriend?" Takuro looked back to see that Tsubaki had returned.

"Hinari's not-,"

"She's not your girlfriend, but you might as well say she is." She stuck her tongue out at him.

"Why are you being so weird lately?" Tsubaki shrugged.

"Who knows? But whatever, its no big deal, might go away soon enough." Tsubaki stared out the window for a few moments. She looked at Takuro and saw that he was smirking. "What?"

"I know that look,"

"What look?"

"You like someone." Takuro said bluntly. Tsubaki blushed and looked away.

"N-no I don't."

"Pfft, sure. Who is he?"

"What does it matter, he'd too old for me anyway."

"Why's that?"

"He's seventeen." Takuro raised an eyebrow. "It's a five year age difference, as if my parents would even let me go out with him, and that's even assuming he likes me."

"Aren't your parents three years apart?" Takuro asked.

"Yeah, but that was different, their marriage was as much for love as well as political reasons." She said. "A union between Suna and Konoha. With one of Konoha's more influential clans with the older sister of the Kazekage." She said. "Why'd your parents get married?"

"Dad didn't want a woman that'd cling to him all hours of the day. That was what he told me anyway. Mom was strong enough and independent enough for him. Though that wasn't always the case from what I've heard." Takuro laughed. "Mom used to be one of his fangirls."

"Your mom, was a fangirl?" Takuro nodded, and Tsubaki burst into laughter. After a minute or so, she stopped suddenly when they heard Hinari groan.

"C-could you keep it down?" Hinari mumbled as she slowly opened her eyes.

"Hinari, you're awake!" Takuro grinned.

"Takuro? What are you doing here?" Hinari looked at him strangely.

"H-Hinari, what do you last remember?" Tsubaki asked cautiously. Hinari gave Tsubaki a strange look as well. Hinari thought for a moment.

"Aren't the genin exams in a week?" Hinari asked them. Tsubaki and Takuro looked at each other for a second, and Takuro leapt from the chair and tore out of the room calling for his mother.

XxXxXxX

"Well, she has amnesia, that much is certain." Sakura said. "She seems to have lost her memories of the last six months or so, if she still thinks she's in the Academy."

"What do we do?" Takuro asked.

"I'll go speak with the Hokage; I'll be back in about an hour. Keep an eye on her." Takuro nodded and his mother walked away. Sakura headed down the hall and sighed. 'Was it the brain damage she sustained that did it?' She asked herself. 'It's possible, the absence of oxygen for the hours she spent dead. Jeez, this is not going to be easy.' Sakura found herself outside the Hokage's office already. She knocked.

"Come in." She heard Konohamaru call from inside. Sakura opened the door and stepped inside. "Oh, Sakura-san, what brings you here?"

"It's about Uzumaki Hinari's condition sir."

"Oh, come, sit down and tell me." Sakura did so and took a deep breath.

"As I told you yesterday, Uchiha Takuro and Uzumaki Hinari returned from their mission, but Hinari was dead. Takuro brought her to me, but by then, there was nothing I could do. I was preparing her death certificate when a nurse informed me that Hinari's heart was breathing. After confirming it, I burned any evidence that may have suggested that Hinari was dead." Sakura paused.

"Go on."

"After informing Takuro that Hinari was alive, he opted to stay at the hospital with her overnight. And today, after being unconscious for several hours, she awoke, but has no recollection of the last six months. She doesn't know that she's already graduated." Sakura said. Konohamaru massaged the bridge of his nose.

"Hinari has been harder to care for than her father." He muttered. He looked up at Hinari. "Inform Uchiha Takuro and Nara Tsubaki that they are to always remain with Hinari to help bring her memory back. Hopefully, it won't be permanent."

"As do I."

"You are dismissed." Sakura stood, bowed and left.

XxXxXxX

"Can I leave yet?" Hinari asked when Sakura entered. Sakura considered it.

"I suppose so." She said. Sakura then turned to Tsubaki and Takuro. "I've got orders from the Hokage that you two are to be Hinari's caretakers until she gets her memory back, starting now."

"Okay." Tsubaki said. Sakura looked at Hinari.

"I know that things are confusing right now, but please bear with it, and Takuro and Tsubaki will help you out. They're your best friends, and will make sure to try and bring your memories back." Sakura gave Hinari a smile.

"Okay." Sakura straightened.

"Okay boy, out, she needs to get changed." Sakura shoved her son out of the room. Tsubaki rummaged through the small closet in the room and pulled out Hinari's pants, jacket and cloak.

"She doesn't have a shirt."

"Oh yeah, it had a nice big whole in it so I threw it out." Sakura said. "Tsubaki, you can get into her apartment right?" Sakura asked.

"Yeah,"

"Go and bring some suitable clothes." Sakura told her. Tsubaki nodded and left.

"Um, can you tell me what happened? How I lost my memory?" Hinari asked.

"I suppose I could, or you could hear it from the person that was the cause of it."

"Who was it?"

"Takuro. He'll tell you, but please try to understand when he does." Hinari nodded.

"All right." Hinari saw the flowers and took in their scent. "Who brought these?"

"Your sister did. Her name is Arashi. Maybe tomorrow, I'll bring you to see her, but Takuro and Tsubaki can't know about her. No one can, understand?"

"Yes." Presently, Tsubaki returned with a bundle of clothes. She handed them to Hinari. "Thank you." Sakura helped Hinari stand up so that she could change. Soon, Hinari was bundled up and ready to leave. Sakura signed Hinari's chart off and helped her walk.

"Your motor skills might be a bit slow at the moment so, they can help you by supporting you while you walk." Sakura told her. Hinari nodded as Tsubaki took one hand and Takuro took the other.

"Okay Hinari, let's get you home." Takuro said.

"Home?"

"Yeah, when you graduated, the Hokage got you this little apartment to live in. It's not too far away lucky for you." Tsubaki told her. The going was slow, the snow hampered them, and Hinari was very unsteady.

"It'll be dark by the time we get there." Takuro grumbled. With that, he swept Hinari into his arms and carried her. He sunk into the snow further, but at least they were moving faster now.

XxXxXxX

"I'll stay with her, she'll probably ask how she ended up like this, I can tell her at least." Takuro said. Hinari had gotten home and had fallen asleep almost immediately. Tsubaki nodded.

"I'll come by in the morning." Tsubaki left, now Takuro was alone as Hinari slept again.

'She must still be low on energy.' He thought. Takuro went through Hinari's closet and found a few extra blankets. Laying two of them out on the floor, he lay down and covered himself with the third. 'I hope that her memory does come back.' He thought as he fell asleep.

XxXxXxX

Takuro awoke to Hinari tossing and turning in her bed, she was having a bad dream based on the things she was murmuring. "No…please…T-Takuro…" He got up out of his makeshift bed and went to her. Sitting on her bed, he pulled her into his arms and cradled her tightly. Slowly, he rocked her back and forth like she was a small child.

"Shhh, its okay Hinari." He whispered into her ear. Hinari became still in his arms. She'd fallen into a deeper sleep, one that did not plague her with nightmares. Takuro attempted to put her down, but she'd gripped his shirt tightly in her sleep and didn't let go. Takuro let out a soft sigh. 'Now what do I do?' He thought. Slowly, he lay down and Hinari curled up to him. He turned red and thanked any god in the world that she wasn't awake. Eventually, Takuro relaxed and fell asleep with Hinari wrapped in his arms.

**I'm sure you can guess who Tsubaki likes, there's only one character in this story that's seventeen. Don't forget to review, and yes I know, it's getting a bit cheesy, but what do you expect? **


	29. Chapter 29: Kidnapped!

Hinari

Chapter 29

Sakura Hanamoto

Takuro awoke to hear a slight clicking sound. Opening his eyes, he spotted Tsubaki, with a camera in her hand. His eyes widened and he leapt from Hinari's bed, somehow not waking her up and lunged at Tsubaki.

"This is will make wonderful blackmail. Or maybe I'll show it to Hikaru-sensei and let her chew you out." Tsubaki giggled.

"Give it!" Takuro snatched at the camera but Tsubaki moved it out of his reach. "Tsubaki!"

"I couldn't help it; you two just looked so cute like that." Tsubaki moved out of his way. "Take care of this Akagane." She tossed the camera and Akagane caught it carefully. Takuro realized that he wasn't going to get it back now.

"Fine." Takuro sat down on the blankets he'd laid out for himself the night before.

"So, any reason as to why you were sleeping in her bed?" Tsubaki asked him.

"She was having a nightmare last night, and I picked her up and she wouldn't let go. What else was I going to do?" Tsubaki shook her head.

"Imagine what would happen if anyone found out. You'd be labeled a pervert, and you'd lose _all_ your fangirls!" She cried.

"You'd better not tell anyone."

"Of course not, I'm saving it for blackmail; you never know when it will come in handy." She gave him a wink.

"Jeez, you're evil." Tsubaki giggled.

"I know." They looked up to see Hinari waking up; she rubbed the sleep from her eyes and blinked at them in confusion.

"What are you guys doing here?" She asked.

"We're following orders; we're supposed to stick with you." Tsubaki said. Hinari looked around; she hadn't really taken her surroundings the day before. She stopped when she spotted Akagane.

Akagane jumped up onto the bed and licked Hinari's face. She giggled. "Stop that, it tickles." She managed to push Akagane away.

"You don't remember me, do you Hinari?" Akagane asked. Hinari gasped.

"He-he talks? And he has two tails!" Hinari moved away from Akagane. Tsubaki picked up Akagane and held him in her arms.

"He's your partner Hinari. You met him the day before the genin exam. You've been nearly inseparable since then.

"Yep! That's right!" Akagane told her. Hinari looked at Akagane intently and thought for several minutes. For a moment, an image of a small fox fighting by her side came to her mind.

"I-I think I remember. We used a technique together. I can't remember what it is right now." Hinari said slowly. The three smiled, or at least, it looked like Akagane was smiling anyway.

"She remembered something." Tsubaki murmured.

"That's a good sign." Takuro said. After a moment of silence, Hinari's stomach growled. "Hungry?"

"Yeah," Hinari blushed in embarrassment over the fact that her stomach had growled so loudly.

"Breakfast time!" Tsubaki cheered. "What should we have?" Takuro wandered over to the fridge and opened it up.

"Empty, looks like we're going to my place for breakfast. Dad's cooking, as usual." He said.

"O-okay let me get changed." Hinari picked up some clothes from her closet and changed in the bathroom. She emerged, changed and her hair pulled back into a high ponytail. She pulled on her jacket and cloak and they headed out the door. Takuro was leading Hinari along to his house. Tsubaki and Akagane not too far behind.

"Hey, Akagane, how do you think their relationship will change after this?" Tsubaki asked him.

"They were pretty close before, but felt awkward about it. Now, it seems to have gone away, they really look like they'd be comfortable around each other. Even though Hinari probably doesn't remember her feelings for him right now, it'll come back soon, with the way he watches over her so protectively." Akagane said.

"Yeah, I noticed that too. Ever since the Chuunin Exam, he's been twice as protective as before, it's actually kind of cute with the way he's always looking out for her. I wouldn't be surprised if he really is in love with her."

"But you guys are still young, who says that it really is love?" Akagane asked

"I don't know, maybe it's just something you don't know until you experience it for yourself. I know I haven't, though there is someone I really care about." She said.

"You're much better at hiding it than a certain someone we know." Akagane said loudly, even Takuro heard and he flushed pink at the statement. Tsubaki laughed, then stopped with Akagane sank farther into the snow. She bent and picked him up.

"You're getting _way_ to heavy to carry around." She commented. Akagane laughed.

"I'm growing, what do you expect? It's like Takuro, pretty soon and he'll be a freaking tree."

"I heard that!" Takuro called back to them.

"How tall are you?" Hinari asked.

"Uh, I think five feet five or something like that. My dad measured my height a couple weeks ago, I don't quite remember. He thinks I'm too tall for my age, it's true, I'll catch up to him soon enough at this rate."

"Must be nice, being so tall." Takuro shrugged. "I'm short." Hinari said.

"No you're not; you're average height for your age actually." Takuro looked up at the sky. It was bright and sunny. The snow would finally be melting. It'd get a little warmer, maybe warm enough for Hinari to be less miserable about the weather. They walked on in silence. Broken only by the faint sound of Tsubaki and Akagane talking. Hinari was growing tired from walking and was slowing down.

"Do you want me to carry you?" Takuro asked. Hinari shook her head, but she did lean against him, and hesitantly, he wrapped an arm around her waist to steady her. Takuro could have sworn he heard the camera go off again, but chose to ignore it.

XxXxXxX

"Here we are. This is my place." Takuro pulled Hinari forward. And just like the first time she saw his home, she was awestruck once again. Takuro chuckled.

"It's so big!" She exclaimed. Tsubaki and Akagane caught up and watched her take in everything she saw. There was a snowman near the door, which made Hinari laugh.

"Come on, I smell breakfast already." Takuro took Hinari's hand and they stepped into the house. Sure enough, the smells and sounds of someone making breakfast wafted throughout the house. "Dad!" Takuro called through the house. From the kitchen, Sasuke appeared with a spatula in one hand and an egg in the other.

"Oh, how nice to see after a couple days." Takuro chuckled.

"Sorry about that. Oh, Hinari, this is my dad."

"Hello, it's nice to meet you, again." Sasuke said.

"I've met you before?" Hinari asked.

"Yes, I believe my son dragged you here for dinner one time if I'm not mistaken." Sasuke disappeared for a few minutes. The three kids went to the dining table where Satoko was already sitting.

"Onii-chan!" She cried as she leapt at Takuro, nearly knocking him to the ground.

"Ow! Satoko! That hurts, get off!" Takuro managed to get her away. Satoko's hair came loose from the ponytail it was pulled back into, and her bangs fell into her face. "Here." He fixed her hair and put her down in her chair.

"Tsubaki-'nee-chan! Did you bring me any candy?" Satoko asked.

"No, I didn't. Sorry Satoko-chan." Satoko pouted, and then she spotted Hinari.

"Hinari-'nee-chan, did you bring any candy?"

"Eh? Uh, no." Hinari responded.

"That's my little sister, Satoko, whatever you do, don't give her sugar." Hinari nodded and closed her eyes for a moment. She remembered the little girl, chasing after Akagane, and eating a chocolate bar.

"I kind of remember, she gets sugar highs really easy." Hinari said. Takuro grinned.

"That's right! Hence the warning." Hinari smiled back and turned to face directly ahead of her. Hinari began to zone out, attempting to remember. She vaguely remembered Tsubaki wielding an enormous tessen as a weapon. She also remembered a woman with white eyes. But lastly, the thing she remembered the most was Takuro, why was that?

'How come I can't remember anyone else except him? What was so special about him that it's all I truly remember?'

**"Good morning Hinari."**

"K-Kyuubi-san? Can you tell me what happened?"

**"No."**

"Why not?"

**"It's not my job. If you want to know, as Takuro. He can tell you everything." **Hinari sighed.

"T-Takuro?" She asked slowly.

"What is it?"

"Can you tell me, what happened? How did I lose my memory?" She asked him.

"Not here."

"Huh?"

"It's not something Satoko should hear, also, I'd prefer to be alone when I tell you." He said."Later today, okay?"

"Okay." Sasuke appeared with a large plate off eggs, bacon, as well as hot cereal for them to eat.

"Okay kids, dig in." Everyone immediately served themselves, though Hinari hesitated for a second.

"Go ahead Hinari; I'm sure you're hungry. You haven't eaten in a day of two, so don't worry about it." Takuro told her. Hinari nodded and served herself.

XxXxXxX

Tsubaki had left to get her film developed and, leaving Hinari and Takuro alone in her apartment.

"Um, can you tell me now?" Hinari asked.

"Yes. But first, please don't interrupt me while I talk, I'm afraid that once I stop, I won't be able to keep going." Hinari nodded and Takuro took a deep breath. "About a week ago, we were dispatched on a mission to a small village just outside the country. We followed the orders we were given, but we had walked right into a trap. We were attacked and knocked out. When we came to, I was taken away and placed under a powerful mind control technique. You were dragged out as well, and I was given the order to kill you." Here he stopped; it would only get harder from here.

"I tried to resist, I really did. I didn't want to kill you. But in the end, you through yourself at me, and I killed you. You were dead Hinari." Hinari stared wide-eyed. "I brought you back here, and somehow, you came back to life. No one has figured out how. But from the absence of oxygen to your brain, you received brain damage. And you lost your memories of the past six month. You were lucky that you didn't lose it completely." He told her.

"S-so, I was dead?" Hinari asked.

"Yes. Please, don't hate me for it, I tried my best to resist the order, but the technique was too strong. I was only able to snap out of it when I carried through. I'm sorry." Takuro said.

"It's okay Takuro, it isn't your fault. I'm still here and that's what matters." Hinari told him, she hugged him tightly. "Don't worry about it now; it's all in the past." Takuro pushed away from her.

"D-do you remember anything?" He asked her softly.

"Not now, but maybe it's been enough to jog my memory." She said. Hinari yawned. "I think I'll take a nap." Hinari crawled onto her bed and pulled the blankets over her body and fell asleep quickly. Takuro sat on the floor watching her. After a while, she began to toss and turn. Biting his lip, Takuro stood up and pulled her towards him. Hinari calmed down, just like the night before, and settled comfortably in his arms. Takuro pulled the blanket over the both of them, and he too drifted off to sleep, Hinari's head resting on his shoulder, and her hand gripping a fistful of his shirt.

Tsubaki came back, and smiled when she saw them still sleeping. 'Jeez, you guys make me jealous. But I'm happy for you.' She thought. Tsubaki slipped out the door, and headed home.

XxXxXxX

Hinari awoke and found herself in Takuro's arms. She smiled and wrapped her arms around his neck. For the time being, she didn't mind staying like this. During her nap, many of her memories returned, including the feelings she had for Takuro. Hinari could hear his heart beating at a steady rate in his chest. Hinari realized that her heart was also beating in synchronization with his. Looking out the window, she saw that it was already night, but she was starving. Her stomach chose that opportunity to rumble loudly.

"Hungry?" Hinari raised her head and saw that Takuro was awake. Hinari nodded.

"I remember now, I remember almost everything. A few things are still a little fuzzy, but I remember." She said. Takuro smiled.

"That's good." Takuro let go of her, almost hesitantly and she sat up. "What do you want to eat?" He asked her.

"Hmm, you pick." Hinari said.

"Okay," Takuro thought for a couple minutes. "Oh, there's this great barbecue place I know about. You wanna go there?"

"Sure." The two got up and pulled on their cloaks, and Hinari tied the scarf around her neck for good measure. "Okay, I'm ready." Takuro paused to fix the fastener of her cloak and they headed out.

XxXxXxX

Hinari and Takuro ate happily, Hinari was glad to get something good to eat, especially since she hadn't eaten since that morning.

"Do you want to go over to the Hokage's office tomorrow and tell him your memory's come back?" Takuro asked.

"Yeah, hopefully by then, all of it will have returned. I think Kyuubi-san is helping out with that when I'm asleep. That's probably why it's taken so little time to return." She said.

"That makes sense." Takuro said. Hinari was about to eat another piece of barbecue when he stopped her.

"What's wrong?"

"Something's weird about your food. We ordered the same thing, but yours smells different." He said. Hinari blinked and gave it a smell.

"You're right." She scowled. 'Kyuubi-san, what is it?' She asked.

**"Poison, already being taken care of."** He replied. Hinari sighed.

"Its okay, Kyuubi-san is taking care of it." Hinari reported. Takuro nodded, and Hinari continued eating a somewhat slow pace, giving Kyuubi enough time to eradicate the poison as it entered her system. When they finished, Takuro paid for the meal and they left. Takuro walked Hinari home.

"Since your memories are back, I guess my job's over now." Takuro was about to leave when Hinari called after him.

"Wait."

"What is it?"

"C-can you please just stay for tonight?" She asked timidly. Takuro blinked.

"Okay, if that's what you want." Hinari nodded and he went back inside. Hinari changed in the bathroom and crawled underneath the covers of her bed. Takuro curled up on the blankets he had on the floor and they both fell asleep.

"Good night Takuro."

"Good night, Hinari-chan."

XxXxXxX

In the early hours of the morning, Sakura returned home from the hospital, a squad returned from border patrol badly injured. One of them under a powerful genjutsu that had been a bitch to dispel. That being the reason for her late stay at the hospital, she was exhausted and just wanted to sleep. Sakura passed by her son's room and saw no one in the room. 'Probably with Hinari still.' She thought. Sakura came to her daughter's room and cracked the door open. The first thing that struck her was the fact that the window was open. Casting a fearful glance at the bed, she saw that Satoko was gone. Sakura's eyes widened in shock and she screamed. Sasuke awoke and came barreling towards her as he pulled a shirt on.

"S-Sakura, what's wrong?" He asked. Sakura merely pointed and Sasuke understood when he saw his daughter's empty room.

XxXxXxX

From the Hyuuga complex, a bell sounded, Hitomi had been taken.

**Well, that's the end of the cheesy crap, and time for some action baby! Yay! Anyway, review please, and tell me what you thought of it. And, I'll be nice/evil and give you guys a preview of next chapter. MWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!!!!!!! clears throat Sorry about that, just couldn't resist you know.**

_"Okay, that's the plan, let's get moving!" Shikatarou ordered. Everyone nodded._

_"Hey!" Takuro and Tsubaki grinned at the sound of the voice._

_"You guys can't be thinking of leaving without me are you?" They turned to see Hinari standing before them, fully armed and ready to go._

_"Well get your ass in gear then!" Hideo said._

_"Yeah, yeah. What's the plan Tsubaki?" Hinari asked. It was explained to her and she nodded in understanding._

_"Takuro," Takuro turned to see his mother standing there, she looked absolutely distraught, and Sasuke was supporting her. "Please, bring Satoko back." She said. Takuro smiled._

_"Don't worry Mom, I'll bring her back, I swear on the Uchiha name." Takuro said._

_"Move out!" Shikatarou and Tsubaki commanded. Everyone fell into place and they were off, and the chase was on._

_"He's a good son." Sasuke said. The large group was already difficult to see as they bounded into the forests around Konoha._

_"Yes, we did a good job raising him, didn't we?" Sakura replied._

_"Of course we did."_


	30. Chapter 30: The Strength of Friendship

Hinari

Chapter 30

Sakura Hanamoto

**Okay, time to answer a few questions!**

**Nautiktti: For the most part, the adults from the Original Naruto story line don't show up much, Iruka does the most. The others just make random appearances. And Tsunade is retired, spending the rest of her life drinking sake and beating up Jiraiya, who we saw in chapter one, being the pervert that he is. They might show up once or twice again, I don't know.**

Hanabi, Neji, Sakura, and Sasuke all stood in the Hokage's office giving a report of what they knew had happened to the youngest members of the Hyuuga and Uchiha clans. Konohamaru sighed.

"Iruka."

"Sir?"

"Get me Nara Shikatarou and Tsubaki." He ordered.

"Yes sir." Iruka was off in a second to fetch the Nara children.

"Sasuke-sama, Hanabi-sama, both of you are the heads of your respective clans, but we can't let this out to any of the other villages. Hanabi-sama, your clan is currently the strongest in Konoha, if any of our rival villages knew that you daughter was kidnapped; other villages may become bold enough to try it as well. Sasuke-sama, the Uchiha clan is still small, but powerful nonetheless, you are to do the same." Both Hanabi and Sasuke nodded.

A few minutes later, Iruka arrived with a very sleepy Tsubaki and Shikatarou. When they saw the Hokage, they were quick to stand at attention.

"Tsubaki, Shikatarou, Hyuuga Hitomi and Uchiha Satoko have been kidnapped at some time during the night. This mission I am assigning is S-rank, is that understood?" Both nodded. "You are to gather as many of your fellow genin that you feel are needed, and in one hour meet me at the Main Gate. You are to retrieve both children at any costs. Dismissed!" Both saluted and ran out the door already planning.

"Sir, is it wise to just send genin?" Hanabi asked.

"They'll be fine, but, depending on how long it takes them, I will have medic squads dispatched." Konohamaru said.

XxXxXxX

"Get Takuro, it's his sister that's missing, he has every right to come, plus he'll be useful." Shikatarou said.

"Right, Inoichirou and Choujirou are useful too, I'll grab Hyuuga Hideo as well, and having a Hyuuga is a good idea." Tsubaki told her brother.

"Bring anyone you feel we'll have a good use for." Shikatarou told her. Tsubaki nodded and the two separated. Tsubaki ran for Hinari's apartment, she knew that Takuro was there; otherwise he would have been with his parents at the office. She knocked lightly on the door and Takuro answered.

"What are you doing here so early Tsubaki?" He asked.

"We've got trouble. Go home, arm yourself and meet me at the Main Gate in an hour." Tsubaki said and she ran off. Takuro blinked, he looked at Hinari's still sleeping form.

"I'll see you later Hinari." He whispered as he pulled on his sandals and cloak and hurried home.

XxXxXxX

Within the one hour time slot, Tsubaki and Shikatarou had collected a total of nine people they felt would be of use. Among them were the Inuzuka twins, Masaru, Daisuke, Shikatarou's team, Takuro, Haruka, and Hideo.

"So what's going on?" Kouga asked.

"Hyuuga Hitomi and Uchiha Satoko were kidnapped last night." Tsubaki said.

"What?!" Takuro roared in rage.

"We were told to bring them back at any cost." Shikatarou said, hoping that would calm Takuro somewhat.

"So, how are we going to go about this?" Masaru asked.

"Because there are so many of us, we're going to separate into two main squads. We will proceed in the following formation. At the front of both squads, the Inuzukas, your noses can tell us how far away the enemy is. After that will be Tsubaki and I, that way you guys can see the signals we give. From there, it'll be Daisuke, Haruka, and Choujirou behind Tsubaki, and Masaru, Inoichirou, and Takuro behind me." Shikatarou knelt on the ground and using a kunai scratched out the plan for them. "That okay with you Tsubaki?" He asked.

"Yeah, it's perfect. Hideo, because you're the only one with the Byakugan, you'll have to serve as the rear guard for both squads, can you handle it?" She asked.

"Yeah." Hideo responded.

"Okay, that's the plan, let's get moving!" Shikatarou ordered. Everyone nodded.

"Hey!" Takuro and Tsubaki grinned at the sound of the voice.

"You guys can't be thinking of leaving without me are you?" They turned to see Hinari standing before them, fully armed and ready to go.

"Well get your ass in gear then!" Hideo said.

"Yeah, yeah. What's the plan Tsubaki?" Hinari asked. It was explained to her and she nodded in understanding.

"Takuro," Takuro turned to see his mother standing there, she looked absolutely distraught, and Sasuke was supporting her. "Please, bring Satoko back." She said. Takuro smiled.

"Don't worry Mom, I'll bring her back, I swear on the Uchiha name." Takuro said.

"Move out!" Shikatarou and Tsubaki commanded. Everyone fell into place and they were off, and the chase was on.

"He's a good son." Sasuke said. The large group was already difficult to see as they bounded into the forests around Konoha.

"Yes, we did a good job raising him, didn't we?" Sakura replied.

"Of course we did."

XxXxXxX

"I'm going by the assumption that Hinari's memories have come back." Tsubaki said as they moved.

"Yeah," Takuro replied. He looked back at her and Hideo. He sensed no malice between the two, which was a good thing. The two were keeping a look out from behind, just to be sure that no one was following from behind to attack. It was only about an hour when Tsukishiro and Kuromaru started to bark.

"We're gaining on them." Kouga reported.

"Good, we've been going at a good pace. Slow it down a bit, we don't wanna fall into a trap." Shikatarou ordered. The pace slowed, but only by a bit.

XxXxXxX

"Dammit, why the hell did Orochimaru want both a Hyuuga and Uchiha? It's a nuisance." A boy of about fourteen commented as he adjusted his hold on an unconscious Hitomi.

"At least you're carrying the smaller one, dumb ass!" Another boy said.

"Shut it! Both of you!" A third boy snapped in annoyance.

"Ryoma started it!" The first boy retorted.

"Will all of you just shut the fuck up?!" The only girl of the group said in anger.

"Hey, hey, Keira, you shouldn't be using language like that." Another boy scolded lightly.

"I didn't ask for you opinion Natsume!" Keira replied.

"Hey Kouji, do you think they'll ever shut up?" Another boy asked.

"I doubt it Kouichi." The two boys were twins, and nearly impossible to tell apart. "Hey, Yoshimune, how far is the border from here?" Kouji asked.

"Still several miles." A boy answered. He was at the head of the group. The boy carrying Satoko groaned.

"That means another several mile of this shit."

"Quiet Tetsuya." Ryoma said angrily.

"Tetsuya and Ryoma really hate each other, don't they Akiyori?" One of the unnamed boys asked.

"You said it. Hey, Fujitsu, do you think they've dispatched anyone yet?" Fujitsu shrugged.

"Quiet, all of you, there's no need to attract attention to ourselves." The last boy, Iwahiko said, he was obviously the leader of the group. "Besides, we've got company already." He said. "Yoshimune, go take care of them." Yoshimune nodded and turned around to face their pursuers.

XxXxXxX

"One of them broke off from the main group!" Kana reported.

"All right, everyone be ready, we know absolutely nothing about this guy, so be careful."

"He's on the ground." Kouga said. Everyone leapt down from the tree branches to the ground. They continued on, never breaking ranks. Soon, they spotted a boy of fifteen standing, and waiting. He was large, but not fat, unlike the Choujirou, he really was big-boned.

"Hello there, you must be the ones dispatched to bring the Hyuuga and Uchiha back." He said. He spoke to them with a relative amount or respect, though, not one of them knew why. "But, you guys are stupid coming at me head on like that." He knelt on the ground, and his hand glowed with chakra. "Doton: Doryouheki no Jutsu!" From the ground, great pillars of earth came up.

Everyone moved out of the way quickly. Then, with both hands to the ground, he picked a great mound of it and lifted it over his head with ease. He threw it, and it kicked up a large amount of dirt and dust. As the dust was clearing, a great mass of spinning human came at him.

"Nikudan Sensha!" Choujirou came at Yoshimune with great force. Yoshimune threw his hands out and attempted to stop Choujirou. His feet dug deeply into the earth as he tried in vain to stop the human juggernaut. Finally, Yoshimune succeeded in throwing Choujirou into the air, only to have him come crashing back down. Yoshimune just barely managed to get out of the way. Choujirou stopped coming, and shrank back to his normal size.

"Choujirou, get back, we'll take him together!" Shikatarou ordered.

"Oh, is that one the leader? How stupid could he get, thinking that all of you could take me on." Yoshimune said with a smirk. "How foolish of him." Yoshimune was about to keep going, only to be interrupted by a powerful punch from Choujirou.

"He's mine Shikatarou!" Choujirou growled out. "Get moving." Shikatarou stood frozen for a second then nodded.

"Take, these, you might need them." Choujirou tossed Shikatarou a tightly bound sack.

"Make sure to catch up when you're done." Shikatarou said.

"Of course."

"Come on." The large group headed out, back into their assigned formation. Inoichirou and Shikatarou cast a final look back at their teammate and then they were gone and out of sight.

Choujirou and Yoshimune stared each other down. "Do you honestly believe that you can defeat me?" Yoshimune asked.

"I'LL NEVER KNOW IF I DON'T TRY!" Choujirou roared. He came in faster then anyone could have expected from someone of his size. "Baika no Jutsu!" Choujirou's torso inflated, and his limbs and head retreated into it. He began his charge towards Yoshimune once more. "Nikudan Sensha!" Yoshimune smirked.

"I won't fall for that same trick twice." Yoshimune moved out of the way, but was caught off guard when a large hand swatted at him.

"Bubun Baika no Jutsu!" Both of Choujirou's arms and hands had grown considerably in size and swatted away at Yoshimune. Yoshimune grabbed both of Choujirou's arms and tossed Choujirou into the air. Yoshimune leapt up to meet him, and kicked him down to the ground. While Choujirou was still down, he rained blow after blow down at Choujirou's limp form on the ground.

"Humph, that was too easy, you shouldn't have bothered. That leader of yours was a complete dumb ass to leave you here alone." Yoshimune raised his arm ready to deliver the final blow. Just as his fist was coming down, Choujirou brought his hand up and caught the punch. Choujirou squeezed hard, breaking several bones in Yoshimune's hand. The audible cracking frightened Yoshimune.

"NEVER INSULT SHIKATAROU!" Choujirou was pissed to say the least.

XxXxXxX

_"Fatty! You're useless! Why do you wanna be a ninja if you can't do anything but eat?" A few of older kids threw rocks at Choujirou as he cowered in a corner of the classroom._

_"Stop it!" Choujirou cried helplessly. The poor eight year old could do nothing._

_"Hey!" A voice caught the bullies' attention._

_"What the hell do you want?" One asked. Before them stood two boys, both with dark hair and light eyes. The taller one had shoulder length hair and his hands stuffed into his pocket._

_"Leave him alone." The taller one said._

_"Why should we?" One of the bullies asked._

_"We'll make you." The slightly shorter boy said._

_"Oh yeah? Get 'em!" The small group of bullies charged and started beating on the other boys._

_'Why? Why are they helping me?' Choujirou could do nothing but stare in awe._

_"What's going on in here?" Iruka burst into the room. "You four, get away from them, now!" He ordered. The four older boys quickly stopped and stood at attention._

_"They started it, Iruka-sensei!" The leader of the group said._

_"I hardly believe that. You four have been bullying the younger students long enough. You're going to the Hokage!" Iruka marched the four out of the room, leaving the first year students on their own. Up to this point, Choujirou hadn't moved a muscle from his place on the floor._

_"Hey, are you okay?" The boy with the long hair asked. Choujirou nodded. The boy extended his hand towards him. Choujirou took the hand and stood. Both boys had sustained a few bruises, but overall, they looked fine._

_"I'm Shikatarou by the way, and this is Inoichirou." He said._

_"My name's Choujirou, but why did you help me?" Shikatarou shrugged._

_"No clue, but we've gotta look for each other right? We might end up on the same team one day." Choujirou nodded slowly in vague understanding. "You wanna come with us and stare at the clouds later?" Shikatarou asked._

_"Sure, I can bring some snacks if you guys want." Shikatarou and Inoichirou grinned._

_"Okay. It'll be fun." Shikatarou said. The three boys broke into light laughter._

XxXxXxX

Choujirou roared with rage. He stood up, still gripping Yoshimune's fist tightly. "If you ever insult my friend again, I _will_ kill you!" Choujirou swung Yoshimune around like a rag doll and hammer threw him into a large tree. The tree buckled from the pressure but held. "Bubun Baika no Jutsu!" Choujirou's hand grew to an unbelievable size and he swung back charging at a disoriented Yoshimune. Choujirou ignored the pain of exhausting his reserves so quickly and brought his fist forward with incredible force. His fist connected with Yoshimune's chest, shattering his rib cage and a few of his ribs piercing his lungs and heart. Yoshimune coughed, and remained still.

The tree Yoshimune was shoved into groaned loudly and fell with a great crash. Breathing heavily, Choujirou fell to his knees. 'Used too much chakra.' He thought. Choujirou forced himself to stand and keep going, but he was just far too tired to continue on. 'Sorry guys, I won't be able to catch up. Kick their asses, Shikatarou, Inoichirou.' He thought as he collapsed to the ground. He noticed a butterfly land near him. 'At this time of year?' Those were his last thoughts as he fell unconscious. The butterfly took off once more and disappeared into the forest.

XxXxXxX

Shikatarou scowled but remained silent. 'Choujirou,' He thought nervously. Choujirou's chakra signature had seemed to disappear, as far as he could tell. There were only two reasons for it; either Choujirou was unconscious, or dead. Shikatarou greatly hoped that it was the former rather than the latter. The group picked up the pace, pausing every once in a while to mark a tree so that Choujirou would know what direction to take to catch up to them. Shikatarou pulled out the sack and opened it up and smirked. 'Thanks.' He thought. Reaching inside he pulled out a small pill.

"Soldier pills?" Tsubaki asked.

"Yeah, he's always got a stock of them." Shikatarou answered. He bit down on the pill and tossed the bag to Kouga. The sack of pills went around once, and their pace increased with the energy boost.

XxXxXxX

"Where the fuck is Yoshimune already? There's no way they could be holding him up this much?" Keira demanded in frustration.

"Whatever, as long as we get these two to Orochimaru-sama it doesn't matter." Iwahiko said. They continued to move, not bothering to take a break for some time.

XxXxXxX

As night was coming, the group under Orochimaru's orders stopped to rest. "I'm going to double back and check out their numbers; maybe I can take one out." Iwahiko said. Iwahiko moved quickly and silently. Within a half an hour, he came upon the enemy, they too were resting up. Pulling a small dart and a hollow tube from his equipment pouch, he slid the dart into it and put one end of the tube to his lips. With a powerful breath, the dart flew and truck one of the enemy in the neck. The boy he'd hit gasped and fell over as the poison was already taking effect. 'Too easy,' He thought as he hurried off.

XxXxXxX

"H-Hideo!" Hinari carefully removed the dart. She could tell that the poison was already taking effect. Hideo smiled up at her.

"I'm not going any farther it seems." He murmured. "Hinari, I'm sorry for being such an asshole when we first met." He said. Hideo closed his eyes and let the poison run its course through his body. Hideo let out his final breath and his heart was still.

"N-no, Hideo." Hinari stared wide-eyed at his lifeless form in her arms. "I forgive you Hideo." Hinari placed him on the ground.

"Hinari, we should keep moving." Takuro said. Hinari nodded. They covered Hideo's body with leaves and branches; they knew that medics would be following them, it was obvious enough that his body was there. They moved on ahead.

'Hideo, I swear now, that I will kill the one that took your life.' Hinari thought as she moved. She widened the scope of her Byakugan handling the area that Hideo would have been covering himself, had he been there. Her sight flickered on and off as she fought off the minor changing of her eyes. 'Stay back Kyuubi-san, I can't use Byakugan when I use your chakra.' She thought. She felt the demonic chakra retreat and she focused on using her own.

XxXxXxX

"One down, several more of them to go." Iwahiko said when he returned to the group. "There are a total of ten of them now." He said,

"So many of them?" Natsume asked. Iwahiko nodded.

"Set some stuff down for them to run into Natsume, they're on the move again." Natsume nodded and went to lay down a couple traps for the group from Konoha.

XxXxXxX

The sun was just beginning to peak over the horizon of the second day of their pursuit when Hinari saw it. "Wait!" She called. Everyone stopped. "There's a trap laid out for us, as well as a genjutsu." She said. Tsubaki nodded.

"Masaru, Daisuke, you guys think you can take care of it?" She asked.

"Course we can. Hinari, you mind guiding us?" Daisuke asked. Hinari nodded.

"Two yards forward and to the right, an explosive tag, four yards forward and to the left there's a second. There are two more the same distance apart from the two I mentioned." Masaru approached one of the tags carefully.

"Crap, these are the kind that goes off when you try removing it." He said. Masaru lifted his hand up to feel for a hidden wire. His fingers just barely brushed against it.

"Wait, there's a genjutsu cast on these, touch them and you'll be trapped." Hinari said. Masaru quickly withdrew his hand as if he'd been burned.

"Daisuke, disarm the genjutsu." Masaru said.

"I can't. If I do that, the tags go off as well. This thing is put together pretty good, but it's still hastily done." He said.

"That means they're resting." Shikatarou said. "See what you can do." Daisuke and Masaru nodded.

"This is tough; removing the tags set them off, dispelling the genjutsu makes the tags go off. Daisuke, do you think dispelling the genjutsu and removing the tags at the same time will work?" Masaru asked.

"Maybe, but I have to be standing where you are to do it. We can't remove the tags without being a good distance away." Daisuke said. "Check for a wire, no doubt this trap was designed to put us into the genjutsu, then, while we're confused, we trip a wire, dislodging a tag and setting it off, killing ourselves." He said. Daisuke made a face as he thought. "Hinari, give us a Bunshin." Hinari nodded.

"Kage Bunshin no Jutsu." A cloned popped into existence.

"Everyone, move back fifty yards. This boom is gonna be big." Masaru said. They all nodded and retreated. Masaru signaled the clone and is stepped into the trap.

"Masaru, there's one problem; the clone isn't affected by genjutsu." Hinari said.

"We don't need it to, just trip the wire and we're good. Once everything settles, Daisuke can get rid of the genjutsu." He said. The clone set off the four tags and dust and debris flew everywhere.

"We probably alerted the enemy that we're here." Shikatarou muttered.

"Oh well, we can always catch up again." Tsubaki said. As soon as everything was clear, Daisuke stepped forward. He formed a seal.

"Kai!" He dropped his arms to his sides. "Okay, clear!" He said.

"Move out!" Tsubaki ordered. Everyone fell back into formation, but halted when a kunai with a tag attached whizzed past Haruka's shoulder and struck a tree.

"Get down!" Haruka cried. They dove for cover as it exploded.

"I'm impressed; you guys got through my trap." They looked up to see Natsume standing on a tree limb above them. "But this is as far as you go!"

**Heh, don't flame me for killing Hideo, I've been planning that for a long while now. But, at least he apologized to Hinari before he died. I wanted to kill him off mostly, to give Hinari something to get pissed off about, other than the fact that her little cousin was kidnapped. Well, the end of one chapter, two of the Konoha genin are out of the running, with ten of them left. Choujirou's knocked out, Hideo unconscious, and the rest facing off against a genjutsu and trap specialist. Here's another preview for you guys! I think I'll just do this every chapter from now on. It's more fun this way. Oh yeah, before you guys bombard me on questions about Hinari's ability to use the Byakugan, you know how her eyes turn red when using Kyuubi's chakra, because of the amount of chakra, it becomes harder to control, and you need very precise control for the Byakugan to work to its fullest potential. Hence, the reason why she can only use it when it's her own chakra, not Kyuubi's. I hope that made some sense.**

_Masaru and Daisuke ducked from the kunai that assaulted them relentlessly. "Daisuke, now!" Masaru cried as he managed to grab the wire guided kunai, he winced as the wire bit into the bare flesh of his hand. Daisuke flashed through several seals and Natsume's surroundings changed. The duo were gone and nowhere to be seen._

_"We've got you now." The genjutsu fell apart and Daisuke and Masaru both had kunai pressed to Natsume's throat. Masaru had tied Natsume up with his own wire. To their surprise, Natsume smirked._

_"I don't think so." An explosive tag went off in their faces._


	31. Chapter 31: Determination

Hinari

Chapter 31

Sakura Hanamoto

**To Temari Sabaku Nara. the previews are to keep you coming back for more.**

"But this is as far as you go!" Natsume cried. He tossed another kunai, this one attached to a wire. Everyone ducked away from it. He yanked it back and prepared another strike.

"Tsubaki, get moving." Daisuke ordered as he drew a kunai and blocked Natsume's attack.

"What?"

"This guy uses traps and genjutsu, Masaru and I will take him, you guys will only get in the way." Daisuke explained.

"Go." Masaru added. Tsubaki nodded.

"Come on guys." The remaining eight charged on ahead. Natsume aimed for Hinari's ankle with his kunai, only to have Masaru pin it to a tree with a shuriken. Natsume growled from Masaru's interference. Natsume tugged fiercely at the wire, and the shuriken dislodged, and his weapon was free. Natsume spun, and tossed it, aiming it at Daisuke's chest. Daisuke leapt up, and grabbed the branch of a tree above them. He clambered onto it and waited for Masaru to make his move.

When he did, Daisuke was ready to strike. He threw a few seals together and the air wavered around them and he was gone. Natsume looked about, searching for the young genjutsu user. He took a step back and fell into one of Masaru's traps. A wire snapped and a volley of kunai and shuriken came rushing at him. Natsume took the blows to dispel the genjutsu that surrounded him.

Natsume came at Masaru and ran through a couple seals. Masaru glared at him, prepared for the genjutsu that would come at him. Natsume looked Masaru straight in the eye and leapt into the air, vaulting over Masaru's head. He gave Masaru a sharp poke square in the forehead and Masaru's eyes widened.

'Shit!' He'd been caught in a powerful genjutsu. He as completely submerged in water. He began to swim for the surface, but it was all in vain. It seemed that the closer he got to the surface, the farther away he was. Masaru couldn't breath; it felt as if his lungs were going to explode. He opened his mouth to try and cry out but that only made things worse. He was about to collapse when he felt a rush of strength and he found himself gasping for breath, down on one knee, Daisuke's hand on his shoulder.

"You okay?" Daisuke asked.

"Yeah, I'm fine." Masaru stood up shakily. Natsume chuckled.

"You children are actually quite entertaining; it's a pity that I have to kill you both." Natsume drew a kunai and tied it to his wire and threw it. Both boys nodded, ready for the next part of the battle.

XxXxXxX

Kana and Kouga's eyes widened. "We've nearly caught up to them!" They both reported. The thought of closing in spurred the group on, giving them a rush of adrenaline.

"Good, it's apparent that we outnumber the enemy, but all the same, don't underestimate them. That will lead to the failure of this mission." Shikatarou said. "Hinari."

"Yeah?"

"How far ahead are they?" Shikatarou asked. Hinari moved forward and pumped more chakra to her eyes, she scanned ahead as far as she could.

"About, a hundred fifty yards. They'll be in sight soon enough." Hinari said. After giving her report, she fell back in line, looking for the three boys that they'd left behind. 'Are they dead?' She thought nervously.

XxXxXxX

Masaru and Daisuke ducked from the kunai that assaulted them relentlessly. "Daisuke, now!" Masaru cried as he managed to grab the wire guided kunai, he winced as the wire bit into the bare flesh of his hand. Daisuke flashed through several seals and Natsume's surroundings changed. The duo were gone and nowhere to be seen.

"We've got you now." The genjutsu fell apart and Daisuke and Masaru both had kunai pressed to Natsume's throat. Masaru had tied Natsume up with his own wire. To their surprise, Natsume smirked.

"I don't think so." An explosive tag went off in their faces. The two were thrown backwards. Daisuke striking a tree, leaving a large indentation in the bark. Masaru was nearly impaled by a broken branch, but he was able to twist his body to get out of the way just in time. His left arm was badly burned, but he shook off the stinging pain in order to finish off their opponent.

"Daisuke!" Masaru pulled his friend from the tree and helped him stand. "You okay?" Daisuke groaned.

"My head hurts." He mumbled. Masaru bit his lip.

"We need a plan to take him out." He said. Daisuke massaged his head and managed to make the spinning feeling and stars go away. Daisuke moved away from Masaru and looked around for something. That's when he spotted it, up into the canopy, an enormous branch, balanced upon a smaller one. One end of it was very sharp looking.

"Masaru," Daisuke whispered. Once he was certain that his friend saw the branch, they nodded. Masaru began climbing quickly to set the plan into motion while Daisuke distracted Natsume.

Daisuke drew out several shuriken and threw them as hard as he could. Natsume blocked and charged at Daisuke. Using one arm, Daisuke grabbed Natsume by the arm, while his other hand grabbed his shirt. Daisuke flipped Natsume onto his back and he pinned him down. Daisuke looked up at Masaru.

"Ready?" Daisuke called up to Masaru.

"Ready!" With a fierce shove with his legs, Masaru sent the large branch tumbling down. It flipped about as it fell. And as it neared Daisuke and Natsume, Daisuke leapt away and grabbed onto another branch while Natsume was run through with the branch. Daisuke and Masaru dropped down to the forest floor and flopped to the ground. Both were breathing heavily from the exertion and effort they'd put into defeating their opponent.

"Jeez, I'm exhausted." Daisuke said in between breaths.

"So am I. What do you say to just staying here?" Masaru asked.

"Good plan. I don't think I could stand, even if I wanted to." Daisuke stared up at the sky that they could barely see through the trees. He grinned. "Does this remind you of when we met?" He asked.

"Circumstances are slightly different, but we were doing the same thing we are now. Just staring up at the sky. But at least there aren't any annoying siblings bugging us this time." Masaru said. Daisuke nodded.

XxXxXxX

The Konoha team closed in on the group from Oto as day fully settled into night over the second day, and they were ready for anything. They came to a clearing in the forest and halted. The remaining members of the Oto group stood waiting. Two of the boys each carried Satoko and Hitomi. Hinari and Takuro stepped forward.

"Give them back!" Hinari snapped angrily.

"And you are?" The one carrying Hitomi asked.

"Hitomi's my cousin; give her back before I rip your jugular out!" Hinari crouched down, ready to spring forward.

"Hinari," Takuro's voice calmed her momentarily. "Return my sister to me or I will be forced to kill you." Takuro threatened, his threat backed by the momentary flash of his Sharingan.

"I don't think so. Ryoma." One of the older boys stepped forward, drawing a broadsword from its sheath on his back. He charged and swung at Hinari and Takuro, only to have the strike blocked by a blade considerably smaller. Haruka delivered a powerful kick, and brought her sword up in a defensive stance.

"Bitch!" Ryoma lunged forward to have his blade parried once more by Haruka. During the short distraction, Tetsuya drew a reed flute from his pouch and began to play. From the notes that came from the instrument, animals formed from the sound waves and chakra came at the rest of the group. Inoichirou stepped forward, his scroll and ink already in hand.

"Choujuu Giga!" A great lion sprang to life from the ink and clashed with the animals Tetsuya had created.

"Let's get out of here. Ryoma, Tetsuya, I'll leave this up to you two." Iwahiko said. Both boys nodded. The twins now carried the two captives with them as they took off. Haruka parried another attack and came in for her own. She was knocked back and rolled across the ground.

"Haruka!" Kouga made to help his teammate but Kana stopped him.

"This is her fight." Kana murmured. Kouga nodded. Haruka stood slowly.

"Useless woman." Ryoma made to cut her head off, but Haruka got out of the way, just in time. As she stood, she looked up to the sky and saw a full moon making its way across the sky. Haruka raised her blade up to the moon. She gathered her chakra into her hands and brought the blade back down into a slow arc. With the blade pointed directly at Ryoma's chest, she came at him, her sword glowing faint silver.

"Nobotteiru Mangetsu no Mai!" Haruka leapt up, and brought the blade down, the reach extended greatly in a blast of silver chakra. The blow struck Ryoma square in the chest. He was blown backwards, but the blow had hardly caused much damage to his body. He grinned.

"Is that all you got?" He asked laughing.

"Kouga, get out of here, I'm going to need all the room I can get." Haruka said. "Plus, he called me useless; things aren't going to be pretty." She finished.

"Are you sure?" Tsubaki asked.

"Do as she says, he hit sore spot." Kouga informed her. Tsubaki nodded and what was left of them continued on.

XxXxXxX

One of Tetsuya's summoned creatures struck Inoichirou and threw him backwards. A moment later, it was gored by his lion. Inoichirou got to his feet and quickly sketched out a new animal, a flying one, this time. The eagle came to life and took off. Following Inoichirou's silent command, it came at Tetsuya, ready to rip him to shreds with its razor sharp claws. A leopard leapt into the air and latched onto the eagle, clawing away at it. The two animals fell to the ground and fell apart from the damage they sustained.

"You're good, I admit that much." Tetsuya said as he paused in his playing. Inoichirou glared from where he knelt over his scroll, brush in hand. "Too bad you won't live for much longer!" Tetsuya began to play again and a panther was springing at Inoichirou. His lion leapt at it and the two large cats clawed at each other.

'His ability is similar to mine. But his takes less time to complete. That's the one difference that I've seen so far. Damn, Shikatarou is far more suited for this type of battle.' Inoichirou thought.

XxXxXxX

Hikaru entered the village gates, and something struck her instantly as wrong. The village was far too quiet. She made her way to the Hokage's office and knocked on the door.

"Hokage-sama, is there anything wrong in the village?" She asked when she entered.

"Yes, unfortunately, Hyuuga Hitomi and Uchiha Satoko were kidnapped two days ago." Konohamaru told her.

"Kidnapped?"

"Yes but I've already dispatched a team to bring them back."

"They haven't come back?"

"No, I'll be sending a medic squad out in about and hour." Konohamaru said.

"I'll go myself." Hikaru said. "And I'll take anyone that wants to go with me." She said to him.

"Very well then, there will be a medic squad behind you just in case." Konohamaru told her. Hikaru nodded and headed out the door.

XxXxXxX

Haruka and Ryoma continued their dance of death. Moving in and out of each other's strike range. Haruka was the smaller of the two and light-footed and was able to evade easily. Not only that, but her strikes came in low, and cumulative. She knew that Ryoma would fall from blood loss eventually. But her own wounds were the same as his, only more fatal; every movement she made caused more blood to spurt onto the ground.

Their battle waged on for several more hours. Both were tiring, but they would not stop until the other fell. Finally, Ryoma managed to hit Haruka with a powerful kick to the stomach. She rolled across the ground, but retained her grip on her sword. As she was climbing to her feet, he kicked her once more in the stomach, making her roll over onto her back. He pressed her foot on her chest and the tip of his blade just brushed against her neck.

"How does it feel? How does it feel to be absolutely useless to those that are relying on you?" He asked. Haruka bit her lip, a memory she had tried so hard to suppress resurfacing.

XxXxXxX

_Izumi stood before Haruka's father. Haruka was just outside the small room, listening quietly. "As you know, Haruka has just recently graduated from the Academy." Izumi began. "It would mean that she would be put into a large amount of danger, it could mean that she may die during a mission." Izumi said._

_"That's fine." Haruka's eyes widened and she clapped her hand to her mouth in surprise. Izumi himself was rather surprised. "The Omoriyama clan has no use for a weak woman. She is an ill omen to this clan, if she dies, it will be her own fault. No head of our clan has ever had a daughter. For generations, their wives have only given him sons." Haruka's oldest brother Shingane sat off to the side._

_"Father! How could you say such things?" He burst out. Haruka's father ignored him._

_"If she dies, I will show no sympathy towards her. She is useless, and any death she meets, she deserves it. If she were to fall, I still have my six older sons." Haruka bit her lip and ran to her room. She shut the door and sank to the ground in tears._

XxXxXxX

"I-I-," Haruka was finding it hard to breath with Ryoma's foot pressing down on her.

"Huh? What are you trying to say, huh? You useless bitch!" Ryoma pressed harder on Haruka's chest. She coughed, but the lifeless expression in her eyes disappeared, and she glared up at him. She knocked his foot away. The sky was beginning to lighten on the horizon. Haruka gripped her blade tightly.

"I AM NOT USELESS!" She screamed. Haruka raised her sword over her head.

"I won't let you use that technique again!" Ryoma swung at her but she dodged. Haruka began again, raising the blade; she put her back to the sun as it peeked out from above the tree line. Haruka brought her sword down, and it once again aimed at Ryoma's chest. She swung it back, and widened her stance. Then, gathering up her remaining chakra, she charged.

'I will prove that I am not useless, Father, you will see one day.' Haruka came closer and closer to Ryoma. He raised his sword in defense. "NOBOTTEIRU TAIYOU NO MAI!" Haruka roared. The strike was much more powerful than the one she'd used before. Ryoma's sword was cleaved in half by the blinding light that enveloped Haruka and her sword. Ryoma screamed in agony as the technique connected and he two was cut down.

Haruka stumbled, the tip of her sword dragging on the ground. She winced as pain shot up her right arm. She fell to the ground and finally, released her sword, her hand was blistered, but running around her middle finger all the way up to her elbow was a strange marking that hadn't been there before. It was a dragon racing up the entirety of her forearm, the marking was red and it stung like a burn. 'I did it, 'nii-san, I've mastered our family's strongest techniques.' She though as she lost consciousness.

XxXxXxX

Several hours before Ryoma's defeat, Inoichirou and Tetsuya continued their battle. The clash and roar of conjured animals between the two sounded loudly through the forest. Both boys were breathing heavily from the constant use of so much chakra.

'I have to end this quick, I'm running out of energy.' Inoichirou thought. 'If I can hit him with Shintenshin, then I've got him.' He thought.

"I've never seen anyone give me a challenge like this in quite some time." Tetsuya said.

"Heh, same here." Inoichirou knew that that was a blatantly lie. He wasn't a very strong shinobi and he knew it. The fact that he'd been able to keep up with Tetsuya must have meant that he had improved enough since the Chuunin Exam. Inoichirou dipped his paint brush and quickly created a pair of wolves. They charged forth faster than Tetsuya was expecting.

Before he could command his own animals, he was forced to strike the wolves down himself. He dealt both powerful blows, their ink splattering all over himself. He charged at Inoichirou and swiped at him with a kunai, only to have him fall apart in a splatter of ink that got all over him. "Sumi Bunshin no Jutsu." Tetsuya spun to see Inoichirou standing behind him. Tetsuya threw the kunai he held and his adversary fell apart again in a splash. Tetsuya stepped in a puddle of ink and attempted to pick his foot up.

"What the hell?" Tetsuya tried in vain, but could not free his feet.

"Shintenshin on Jutsu!" Tetsuya crumpled for a moment then rose. He smirked and pulled out an explosive tag from his pouch and wrapped it around the flute. 'Kai!' Tetsuya slumped then opened his eyes. Inoichirou was on the ground, smirking. With a silent command, all of Inoichirou's ink animals tackled Tetsuya to keep him from moving. "Boom," was all Inoichirou said as the tag went off sending bits of Tetsuya and ink all over the place. Inoichirou looked around and heaved from the sight of it carnage before him. He fell to his knees and collapsed from disgust as well as exhaustion.

XxXxXxX

Hikaru, along with several other adults, mostly the parents or guardians of the group that had been sent out, followed the trail the kids left behind. Kiba and Akamaru at the front, sniffing them out. The came to a very small clearing. At one end was a teenage boy who had obviously died of a chest injury and at the other end was an unconscious Choujirou. Chouji came towards his son and picked him up.

"I'll take him back to the village." He said before taking off in the direction he had come. The rest continued on their way.

'Hinari, don't do anything reckless.' Hikaru thought as she continued to move.

XxXxXxX

The remaining six continued to trail after the last six Oto-nin. They came to a cliff side, signaling the approach of the border between Rice Country and Fire Country. The Oto-nin paused to catch their breath, but the Konoha-nin kept on coming.

"Tsuuga!" A fast spinning drill came at the group, and they all leapt away. Kouji and Koichi tossed the two captives to Fujitsu and Iwahiko. Kana and Kouga stared down the other pair of twins. Keira, Akiyori, Fujitsu and Iwahiko kept on running, the Naras, Hinari and Takuro not too far behind.

"Screw this shit!" Keira turned about and drew a smoke bomb and threw it. Tsubaki drew her fan and blew the smoke away. Akiyori came in at her and launched a punch at her. Tsubaki used her fan to protect herself. Shikatarou tackled Keira quickly. They broke apart, and Tsubaki and Shikatarou stood back to back.

"Trade partners?" Shikatarou suggested.

"No trade backs." Tsubaki and Shikatarou spun and faced their new opponents. Hinari and Takuro took a silent order to continue the chase. They followed Fujitsu and Iwahiko out of the forest and the beginnings of the rolling fields that dappled Rice Country.

XxXxXxX

Kana and Kouga stood against Kouji and Koichi. "Gatsuuga!" The pair of them cried as they came in, along with their partners to strike the opposing twins. Kouji and Koichi dodged Kuromaru and Tsukishiro, but were taken off guard as Kana and Kouga turned and struck from behind. As the two stopped spinning, Koichi grabbed Kana by her ponytail and threw her into the forest, separating her from Tsukishiro and her brother.

"KANA!" Kouga tried to go after her, but Kouji stood in the way.

"You're fight is with me." Kouji said grinning sadistically. "But I can't wait to see what my dear brother will do to your pretty little sister." Kouga growled.

"I'll rip you both to shreds if you hurt her." He threatened. He saw Tsukishiro follow Kana and Koichi. 'I'm comin' sis, just hold on.' He thought as he slid into his taijutsu stance, Kuromaru at his side.

**Nobotteiru Mangetsu no MaiDance of the Rising Full Moon**

**Nobotteiru Taiyou no MaiDance of the Rising Sun**

**Hurray! Another chapter done! I was afraid that I'd stretch it out too long. But I guess this is okay. Well, that was fun. All right, Haruka pwns! She finally got to have a bit of the spotlight. I rewrote that scene a million times before I got it to the way I liked it. And her dad sounds like a real son of a bitch. Inoichirou's fight wasn't very spectacular though. Oh well, that's okay I suppose. Now for the preview!**

_Tsubaki tried to run to her injured brother, only to find the path blocked by Keira. "This ends here bitch!" Tsubaki winced as her leg gave out from under her. The injury was more serious than she'd originally thought. She watched as Keira approached, ready to kill her. That's when she heard Akiyori's cry as he fell to the ground dead, and Keira spun around just in time to be struck by a familiar weapon._

_'Dad's trench knives?' She thought in wonder._

_"You okay, Moyashi-chan?" Tsubaki looked up to see someone standing over her._

_"A-Asuma-san?" She asked in surprise._


	32. Chapter 32: The Love of a Brother

Hinari

Chapter 32

Sakura Hanamoto

**Temari Sabaku Nara: Thanks for the review! ((Hugs!))**

**Guitardude94: Thanks for the review. (I'd hug you but I think you're a guy. Sorry.)**

Takuro and Hinari followed quickly, Hinari in the lead, her Byakugan and enhanced senses leading the way. They came to a grassy clearing where one of their targets stood, but neither of the girls was with him. They halted and stood silently.

"So, you both are the relatives of each girl?" Fujitsu asked. Hinari and Takuro nodded. "Then, it will be all the sweeter when you fail your mission." He said.

"I don't think so. Tajuu Kage Bunshin no Jutsu!" The entire field was filled with Hinaris. Takuro was still amazed at the amount she could produce. "Takuro, the last guy obviously went on ahead. He has both of them, that much is certain. I'll go on ahead to bring them back." Hinari said.

"Okay,"

"You take care of this guy." Hinari told him. Takuro nodded. "And one more thing, if I'm not back by tomorrow morning at sunrise, then, expect the worst." She said. Takuro's eyes widened in fear. He didn't want to have to do that, it had been bad enough when she'd died by his own hands, but spending hours not knowing whether she was alive or not was the worst thing for him to have to do.

"Hinari," Hinari turned to him. "Try to come back unharmed." He said. Hinari grinned.

"I can't make any promises there; you should know that by now. But I'll at least try to come back alive." She told him, giving him a broad grin. "Beat his ass down." She said. She gave him a quick kiss on the cheek and she ran off to continue the pursuit. Takuro nodded and slipped into his taijutsu stance.

"Looks like it's just you and me." Takuro said. 'And all these clones.' He added to himself.

"Indeed."

XxXxXxX

"Juujin Bunshin no Jutsu!" Kouga and Kuromaru prepared to strike, both crouched low. "Gatsuuga!" The pair charged in at Kouji, ready to bring him down. Kouji dodged both strikes, and retaliated when Kouga stopped his rotation. Kouji drew a long dagger, the hilt decorated with a complex pattern of carvings. Kouji slashed at Kouga, but only succeeded in slicing off a few strands of his thick hair. Kouga charged again, aiming a powerful punch at Kouji only to have the fist caught. 'Shit!' Kouji smirked and slashed at him. Kouga managed to maneuver his body where he wouldn't get hit, but his jacket was ripped open.

"You're not half bad." Kouji murmured when he released Kouga's hand when Kuromaru came in from behind.

XxXxXxX

Kana forced herself to her feet. She was just getting into a standing position when Koichi rushed at her, and delivered a powerful kick at her chin. Kana's head snapped back and she fell over. She massaged her neck, glad that he hadn't snapped it. 'Damn, Tsukishiro, come on girl.' Sure enough, Tsukishiro leapt down from a tree branch and clawed at Koichi's face. This provided Kana with the distraction she needed. Kana leapt to her feet and aimed a kick at Koichi's ribs. She hit home and he was knocked off of his feet. Tsukishiro let go of his face and rejoined her master's side. "Good job Tsukishiro." Kana murmured before crouching down next to her companion.

"You bitch! You ruined my face!" Koichi's was screaming loudly. Kana smirked.

"It looks a lot better than before." She said. Koichi growled in anger.

"You'll pay for what you did to my beautiful face!" He cried as he drew a long dagger identical to Kouji's. Kana dodged out of the way as the dagger came slashing at her.

'That moron's vain as vain can get. I've seen girls at the Academy who aren't this vain, and most of them are.' Kana thought as she moved out of the way of the knife again. Tsukishiro came to a rest on Kana's shoulders. "Juujin Bunshin no Jutsu!" With a pop and a flash of smoke, Tsukishiro took on Kana's appearance. "Let's go!" The two charged, utilizing Koichi's blind spot to their advantage. Koichi took several blows, allowing his blood to stain not only Kana and Tsukishiro but the area around them.

XxXxXxX

Kouga and Kouji's battle was identical to the one between Kana and Koichi. Kouji landed one more blow on Kouji before he stopped to breathe. Kouji smirked. "I thank you Dog-breath. You have helped me get to the point where I can use my best technique on you!" Kouji grinned insanely. "I have no doubt my brother is in the same situation as I." Kouji raised the blade into the air, and he drove it into his stomach. Kouga watched in horror as Kouji's body twitched with his final death throes.

When Kouji was still, he began to twitch again. 'What?!" Kouga watched as Kouji stood and cracked his knuckled, his grin still stretched across his face.

_**"There is no way you can win!"**_ Kouji growled out from his position. Gripping the dagger tightly, he came at Kouga fast and hard. Before Kouga could even react, the knife had been driven into his stomach, but luckily, it missed his vital organs. _**"You're a dead man!"**_

XxXxXxX

Kana stared at the dagger that protruded from her arm. She'd barely managed to bring her arm up in defense. 'That was close.' She thought. Koichi cackled as he yanked the blade from her arm. _**"It would be a pity to kill you."**_ He murmured. _**"You are rather pretty."**_

"Wish I could say the same about you." Kana retorted. Koichi scowled and raised the blade to kill her.

XxXxXxX

Kouji raised his dagger, ready to kill Kouga, when Kuromaru leapt at the crazed teen and bit his arm fiercely. Kouji cried out in pain. Kouga took off to join his sister. Kuromaru released Kouji and followed his master.

_**"You won't get away!"**_ Kouga ducked under the swipe and kept on running.

"Kana!" He cried, tackling Koichi to the ground just as he was about to stab her. Kana broke out of her stupor just as Kuromaru chomped down on Koichi's leg. Kouga stood and stood beside his sister. They heard laughter from behind and saw that Kouji had also arrived. Koichi joined his twin and they stood together in the same fashion that Kouga and Kana did.

_**"It's time to end this!" **_They spoke in perfect unison now. They joined hands and turned their daggers towards each other, driving it into the other's chest. In a rush of chakra, they seemed to meld together to become one. Kouga stood in front of his sister to protect her from them. A great hand shot out and struck Kouga in the chest and pinned him to a tree. Kuromaru leapt at the arm and bit down hard. The small dog was easily shaken off. But this short distraction gave Kouga enough time to get free.

"Kuromaru!" The dog barked and jumped high into the air above the twins. He spun through the air just as the twins looked up at the dog just in time to be on the receiving end of a spray of urine. They howled in rage. "Perfect." Kouga flashed through a set of seals.

'Those seals, can they really-?' Kana thought.

"Jinjuu Konbi Henge: Soutourou!" Kouga and Kuromaru had joined together to form an enourmous slathering two-headed black dog that overshadowed their enemy. Kouji and Koichi attempted to retreat, only to find Kana and Tsukishiro keeping them from doing so.

"Let's do this onii-chan!" Kana and Tsukishiro performed the exact same seals. "Jinjuu Konbi Henge: Soutourou!" Now, the twins were trapped between to very large double-headed dogs.

_"GAROUGA!"_The Inuzuka twins rushed together and struck as one. Koichi and Kouji broke apart from the immense pain they were experiencing. They stared in wonder as the Inuzukas went passed the time limit of holding the transformation and returned to their normal states. It was easy to see that both kids were tired, as well as their partners.

"Now's our chance Koichi, let's take out the brother." Kouji suggested. Koichi nodded and they rushed at Kouga who had yet to recover.

"Onii-chan, look out!" Kana rose to defend her brother, but she wasn't fast enough. The opposing twins drove their daggers deep into Kouga's abdomen, twisting just because they could. "No!" Kana screamed and rushed blindly at them.

"Time to go." Koichi said quickly.

"I concur." The twins were off, leaving a bleeding Kouga and a screaming Kana in their wake.

"Onii-chan!" Kana ran to her brother's side.

"Silly Willy, don't cry." He said softly. Kana didn't try to stop her tears from flowing.

"Onii-chan, no, hold on please, just hold on until we can get back." She begged.

"I'm not going back with you Silly Willy." He said. Kana somehow forced a smile.

"Don't call me that." She said.

"But you'll always be my Silly Willy Wittle sister." He teased. Kana wiped her tears away. "Be strong Kana, it'll be hard, but live. Keep on living." He said. Kana gripped his hand tightly, but his own grip was weakening with each passing second.

"No, no, no, no." Kana kept on chanting, hoping that it could save him. Kouga closed his eyes and he released Kana's hand. "NNNNNNNNNNNNNNNOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" Kuromaru and Tsukishiro raised their noses to the bright sky above them and howled in lament for their fallen comrade.

XxXxXxX

Kiba, who was among the party following the children halted abruptly, causing Neji to run into him.

"Hey, Kiba!" Neji tried to get his attention. Akamaru gave an affirming nod and they took off. Kiba was well aware that there were no wolves in the forests that surrounded Fire Country, the howling he heard could only mean one thing.

'Kouga, Kana, please be alright.' He thougth desperately.

The sight that greeted Kiba was one he wasn't prepared for. His daughter knelt on the ground holding a blood-stained Kouga in her arms.

"Onii-chan," He heard her whisper.

"K-Kana," Kiba said quietly. Kana whirled on him, snarling, tears streaming down her face. Acting solely on instinct, she drew a kunai and charged at her father. Kiba disarmed her easily and hugged her tightly. "It's okay Kana, dad's here now, it's okay." He whispered these words into her ear over and over. Kana came to her senses and allowed herself to cry, burrying her face into his leather jacket.

XxXxXxX

Shikatarou and Akiyori grappled, testing each other's strength. So far, Shikatarou had the upper hand, but just barely. The problem was, he was runnig out of energy, the effects of the soldier pill he'd taken at the beginning of the chase was beginnined to wear off.

'Think of something!' He thought desperately. Shikatarou dug his short nails into Akiyori's hand and with a fierce roar, he flipped Akiyori over his head onto his back. Akiyori cried out from the impact, but Shikatarou wasn't giving him a chance to recover. Shikatarou was on him in a second pummeling away at his face. Akiyori brought his feet up and with a powerful shove, threw Shikatarou away.

Shikatarou struck a tree, and stood there, dazed for a moment. He ducked under a punch, and retaliated with his own. Akiyori skidded back a few feet, he attempted to step forward, but his muscles froze involuntarily.

'What?' Akiyori looked down to see that his shadow was connected to Shikatarou's.

"Kagemane no Jutsu is a success." Shikatarou murmured. He glanced up at the sky, it was getting close to noon, and once the sun began to descend, he'd be at a disadvantage if he didn't change his position.

"What do you plan on doing?" Akiyori asked. Shikatarou redirected his attention to the teen before him.

"Huh? Why do you think I stopped your movements, I need a little time to think. I don't think as fast as my little sister, granted her plans are sometimes flawed as a result." Shikatarou nodded towards Tsubaki's general direction.

"So that blondie is your sister eh? Would you care if I killed you and went to rape her?" Akiyori asked. Shikatarou merely shrugged. This threw him off. "So you wouldn't care?"

"That depends, do you actually intend on following through with that, or are you just bluffing to make me angry and lose my concentration?" Shikatarou replied. Akiyori blinked.

'This guy, is he just messing with my head?' Akiyori thought.

"But, if you do plan and following through with that plan, then yes, I suppose I would care. It is my job as the older one to take care of the younger one, even if I figure she really wouldn't need much of my protection." Shikatarou said. Shikatarou grinned. "Even if you did kill me, Tsubaki'd finish you off, either out of anger of my death, or simply because I managed to drag my death out long enough to tire you out." Shikatarou checked his shadow, it was still going strong. All of his talking was simply a way to keep Akiyori thrown off until he got a good plan going.

"Enough talk! Let's get this fight going again!" Akiyori raged.

"Fine, if you want it that way. Don't blame me." Shikatarou's shadow retreated and Akiyori charged. 'Crap, I can't move until my shadow's where it should be!' Shikatarou waited, his shadow returned fully and he ducked back, throwing his hands back, he balanced on them, and kicked Akiyori in the chin. Akiyori lunged forward again, just to receive a fist to his windpipe. He coughed, but luckily, it wasn't crushed. He came at Shikatarou again, even faster than before.

"You are so dead!" Akiyori reached into his pouch and drew a pair of brass knuckles.

"Uh-oh!" Shikatarou dodged as fast as he could, but Akiyori kept coming on faster and faster, he was just barely able to stay one step ahead, and he had no time to properly form a plan.

XxXxXxX

"Ninpou: Fuusajin no Jutsu!" Tsubaki's fan was swept forward kicking up dirt and dust, making the ground more difficult to stand on. Keira hobbled for a second, then fell on her butt. Tsubaki took a moment to laugh at the girl's expense before resuming her attack. Tsubaki closed her fan and came at Keira, swinging it like a club. Keira just managed to roll out of the way. Tsubaki raised the fan and batted a shuriken away as if it were a baseball. "Those retarted tricks don't work against my fan." Tsubaki explained. "It's made from some of the strongest steel you could ever find."

"Humph, I wouldn't get so high and mighty if I were you." Keira reached into her back pouch and drew out a small spherical object. She threw it as hard as she could at Tsubaki, only to have it deflected. The small object bounced off, and for a second it seemed to suspend itself in mid-air. Then, it exploded in a small blast. Tsubaki was surrounded in a thick smoke.

"Shit!" Tsubaki backed up, hoping to get out of the smoke, but it was too thick. Tsubaki snapped her fan open and tried to blow the smoke away, but her fan had no effect on it whatsoever.

"Your stupid little fan won't work. This smoke absorbs any chakra that is manipulated to any tool." Tsubaki could hear Keira, but not see her at all. She cried out in pain when a large gash opened up on her left calf. Tsubaki sank to the ground, and she managed to drag herself out of the smoke, only to run right into Keira. Keira was about to stepp on her when loud crashing distracted the girls. Shikatarou and Akiyori came crashing throught the trees. Shikatarou was injured, that much was certain, his hand was clamped tightly over his right eye where blood oozed out from between his fingers.

Tsubaki tried to run to her injured brother, only to find the path blocked by Keira. "This ends here bitch!" Tsubaki winced as her leg gave out from under her. The injury was more serious than she'd originally thought. She watched as Keira approached, ready to kill her. That's when she heard Akiyori's cry as he fell to the ground dead, and Keira spun around just in time to be struck by a familiar weapon.

'Dad's trench knives?' She thought in wonder.

"You okay, Moyashi-chan?" Tsubaki looked up to see someone standing over her.

"A-Asuma-san?" She asked in surprise.

"Heh, I would have been here sooner, but I woke up late." He gave her a wink. Tsubaki stared at Keira's still form beside her.

"Why do you have Dad's trench knives?" She asked. Shikatarou hobbled towards them, he was still nursing his eye.

"He gave them to me, said it was a late congratulations gift for being promoted." Asuma explained as he collected the blades from the two trees that they'd sunk into. "I'm still getting the hang of them though." Just as he finished cleaning them, Neji, and Shikamaru landed in a tree above them. "Speak of the devil."

"Hey, you guys okay?" Shikamaru asked as he jumped down. A medic squad appeared and they quickly began working on Tsubaki's leg.

"Tsubaki, where are Takuro and Hinari?" Neji asked.

"They went up ahead." Tsubaki replied. Neji took a step forward when he froze, as did everyone else. They all felt the sudden spike of chakra; most of them recognized it, only Asuma and Shikatarou were confused as to the nature of it. "Hinari," Tsubaki spoke softly.

"Shikamaru, take them back to the village, it looks like your son;s eye will need Sakura's expertise." Neji said.

"Right. Be careful Neji." Shikamaru helped his son walk, since his balance and depth perception was now completely thrown off. Asuma bent and easily lifted Tsubaki into her arms.

"Oh, you don't have to-," Tsubaki began.

"I don't mind." Asuma cut her off. Shikamaru cast a glance back at his daughter and Asuma. He caught Asuma's eye and gave him the slightest of nods. "And neither does your dad it seems." Tsubaki looked over at her father, then up at Asuma. She blushed slightly and smiled. Asuma smiled back. Tsubaki settled herself comfortably in his arms as they headed back towards the village.

XxXxXxX

Takuro and Fujitsu also stopped when they felt the sudden rise in chakra. 'Hinari, don't do anything reckless.' Takuro thought. Once everything settled, he turned his attention back to Fujitsu. Their battle had been going on for quite some time now. 'I need to finish him off quick, that soldier pill won't last much longer.' Takuro ducked underneath a volley of kunai. He charged forward and delivered a powerful kick to Fujitsu's chest. Fujitsu flew backwards and rolled across the grass.

"That was your girlfriend wasn't it?" Fujitsu asked. "Iwahiko has a lot of chakra, but not that much." He said.

"So what if was her? I won't let you by me anyway." Takuro said, smirking confidently. "Oh, and Hinari isn't my girlfriend." He added, almost as if it were an after thought.

"Even so, I can tell just by looking at you that you've got it bad for her." Fujitsu rose and rushed fast. He and Takuro exchanged blows, somehow still finding time to talk casually. "If I'm not mistaken, I could say that you're _in love_ with her." Takuro glared, blocked a punch and returned his own. "I'm right, aren't I?"

"And if you are?"

"Oh, so I am right. Then I'm gonna have fun with you. Perhaps, if Iwahiko saves me some, I can play with your girl before I finish her off." Takuro's eyes narrowed.

"As if I'd let you!" Takuro concentrated more chakra to his eyes and the Mangekyou activated. Fujitsu was quickly sucked in by its power. Takuro was still unsure of all of its abilities, but this guy deserved it.

Within the power of the Mangekyou, Fujitsu found himself tied to a cross, Takuro standing in front of him.

"For the next one-hundred and sixty-eight hours, you will be repeatedly stabbed by the Chidori." Takuro ran him through, over and over and Fujitsu screamed in anguish.

And in a second it was over.

Fujitsu was on the ground, breathing heavily from the incredible pain that rushed through his body. 'That felt like forever, but was it really only a few seconds?' He thought desperately.

'Shit, that took a lot more out of me than I thought. But I'm gonna finish him, I should have just enough for this.' Takuro thought as he began forming seals. He gripped his arm just as the loud chirping began. Fujitsu looked up in fear at Takuro. The last thing he saw were the blood red eyes of the Sharingan, and that chirping noise coming from the technique Takuro used. 'He wasn't so tough.' Takuro thought as he flopped onto the ground in exhaustion.

He was taking his time, he knew that Hinari didn't want him to follow, so once he felt he was ready, he stood and was about to head back when Neji appeared.

"Oh, Hyuuga-san." Takuro was surprised.

"Where's Hinari?" Neji demanded.

"She went up ahead," Takuro replied, "but, she doesn't want us to follow." He said.

"Why not?"

"She said that if she isn't back by tomorrow morning, then expect the worst." Takuro replied. "She said she'd be back, with both Satoko, and Hitomi." Neji nodded.

"Let's head back then. Everyone else has been gathered together."

"Were there any other casualties?" Takuro asked.

"Inuzuka Kouga did not survive, regrettably." Takuro stared at the grass beneath him. "Come, let's get back." Takuro nodded and looked off in the direction Hinari was at, hoping that she was still alive.

'Be careful, Hinari.' He thought as he followed after Neji.

**Okay! That's it for this chapter. Jeez, coming up with original stuff for this story is tough. I'm sure you noticed already that it's very much like the original Naruto story, but only with more killing in it. Anyway, next chapter will pretty much be entirely Hinari's fight against Iwahiko. So don't forget to review and tell me what you thought of it. I know for Takuro, Tsubaki, and Shikatarou's fight it didn't seem like it was very long, but that's because their fights were occurring parallel to Kouga and Kana's battle, so because I don't feel like backtracking through the timeline of things, we started off at a point in the middle of the battle, hence why I mentioned none of Hinari's clones, they were destroyed previously to the camera being turned back to them.**

_Hinari studied Iwahiko movements intently. He reeked of healing herbs and sweat. Hinari realized that he must have been the one responsible for Hideo's death since that dart had been poisoned. She shot her most powerful glare at Iwahiko, hoping to intimidate him._

_"Do you think that those petty attempts will work? Please, I work for the great Orochimaru-sama! Nothing you throw at me will frighten me!" Iwahiko said indignantly._

_"Is that so? Tell, me, have you ever looked into the eyes of a demon?" Hinari asked him. Iwahiko gave her a strange look. "Then, do you think that this doesn't scare you!" Hinari called on Kyuubi's chakra, allowing it to run rampant through her body enough to scare Iwahiko. She grinned when she saw his expression change from cool confidence to absolute terror from the amount of killing intent and chakra she was giving off._

_"Oh my god," She heard him whisper._

_"Return Satoko and Hitomi to me!" Hinari cried, and with that, she charged._


	33. Chapter 33: Into the Eyes of a Demon

Hinari

Chapter 33

Sakura Hanamoto

**Temari Sabaku Nara: Thanks for the review; I'm glad you liked the preview.**

Hinari ran through a forest, moving as quickly as possible to catch up to her prey. She launched herself from a tree branch and left the forest, coming to an enormous waterfall. 'This place, is this the Valley of the End?' She thought. She took in her surroundings, there stood the Shodaime and Nidaime in all their glory. All around the waterfall and river, there were scars of an old battle. Large craters littered the cliff side walls. She spotted Iwahiko standing at the top of the immense waterfall; he carried the girls under each arm.

Hinari made her way down to the river, unlike everything else; it hadn't frozen over with the falling snow. The water simply flowed too quickly for it to freeze. But Hinari could tell that it was still freezing cold water. She looked up at him and glared. She raced up the statue of the Nidaime and came to a halt upon reaching the top of its head.

"So you made it." Iwahiko commented lazily. Hinari made no reply. "This valley marks the border of our two countries. But tell me, do you know the history of it?" Iwahiko asked.

"Of course I do, any graduate of Konoha's Academy does." Hinari responded.

"Do you also know that two great people fought in this very valley twenty years ago?" Hinari shook her head. "I was told this story by Kabuto-san. It was a grand battle against, Orochimaru-sama's former pupil, and said pupil's best friend." Iwahiko smiled. "Do you know who they are?" Again, Hinari shook her head. "At the time, they were twelve years old, the future Rokudaime Hokage, Uzumaki Naruto, and, Orochimaru-sama's former student, Uchiha Sasuke." Iwahiko said.

"My father and Sasuke-san?" Hinari asked.

"Oh, you're Uzumaki Naruto's daughter? My, I wasn't expecting that." Iwahiko said snidely. Hinari growled and slipped into a loose taijutsu stance. Iwahiko tossed Satoko and Hitomi away, both girls were in a drug induced sleep, making them easier to handle. He left them on the bank of the river, and he too fell into his own taijutsu stance.

Hinari studied Iwahiko movements intently. He reeked of healing herbs and sweat. Hinari realized that he must have been the one responsible for Hideo's death since that dart had been poisoned. She shot her most powerful glare at Iwahiko, hoping to intimidate him.

"Do you think that those petty attempts will work? Please, I work for the great Orochimaru-sama! Nothing you throw at me will frighten me!" Iwahiko said indignantly.

"Is that so? Tell, me, have you ever looked into the eyes of a demon?" Hinari asked him. Iwahiko gave her a strange look. "Then, do you think that this doesn't scare you!" Hinari called on Kyuubi's chakra, allowing it to run rampant through her body enough to scare Iwahiko. She grinned when she saw his expression change from cool confidence to absolute terror from the amount of killing intent and chakra she was giving off.

"Oh my god," She heard him whisper.

"Return Satoko and Hitomi to me!" Hinari cried, and with that, she charged. Hinari plowed across the water, kicking up a stream of it in her wake. She came at Iwahiko and threw a powerful punch, only to have it blocked. Hinari stared in shock. She looked up and her eyes widened in surprise. The left half of Iwahiko's face was covered in strange markings. With her intake of breath, she smelled that his chakra was filled with an evil taint. She recognized the scent from somewhere, but this was considerably stronger.

"Isn't it wonderful? Orochimaru-sama's curse seals are absolutely intoxicating. They made me so much stronger, and faster than ever before!" Iwahiko twisted Hinari's arm and attempted to knee her in the stomach, but Hinari managed to get out of the way just in time. She delivered a high kick to his head, but he ducked down and retaliated with a palm thrust to her chest. Hinari was knocked back and bounced on the water's surface. Iwahiko gave a satisfied smirk, but is soon faded as hundred of Hinaris burst from the water to attack him.

The clones came at him relentlessly. It was all Iwahiko could do to dodge them all. One by one, they puffed out of existence until only the real Hinari remained on the battle field.

"Don't you feel honored girl? You are the first to face the power of the curse seal. None of Orochimaru-sama's other servants have it. Only I do!" Iwahiko laughed insanely.

"Who the hell is this Orochimaru?!" Hinari demanded. "What does he want with Hitomi and Satoko?!"

"Knowing that you won't live for much longer, I suppose I could tell you. He wants them for their eyes. The all seeing Byakugan, as well as the Sharingan. His goal is to copy every technique in the world. With the Uchiha, he can use her body to do it, and the Byakugan will only make his forces stronger!" Iwahiko laughed again.

"Whoever this guy is, I won't let him take them!" Hinari came in faster than the first time. The two engaged in a taijutsu battle, Hinari going between Jyuuken and plain taijutsu, she was steadily beating back Iwahiko even with his curse seal.

"Suiton: Suiryuudan no Jutsu!" A great dragon of water rose up to attack Hinari. Hinari but her thumb and forced several seals.

"Kuchiyose no Jutsu!" All six of Hinari's furry companions appeared by her side. Hinari flashed through a set of seals that she hadn't used in quite a while. 'Kitsune-bi no Jutsu!' The size of the flame wreathed fox was incredible. Hinari had pumped so much chakra into it, plus all six of her partners with her, made it easily match the size of Iwahiko's technique. The fox tore through the water dragon, making in collapse with a splash, but it kept on going, charging into Iwahiko and knocking him into Shodaime's statue behind him. "Oops," Hinari said apologetically. She hadn't meant to damage the statue, but there was nothing else she could do.

Iwahiko pulled himself from the crater the impact had formed and he groaned in pain. "That hurt." He muttered. He brushed his hair aside, and more of the markings made its way across his face, spreading to his bare left arm and over his neck. He grinned in the increase in strength and came at Hinari. Hinari concentrated, and he flew right threw her body. He shivered at the cold feeling that passed over him. Hinari spun around and crouched down on her hands. Her long nails grew a little longer, and she launched herself at him in a powerful leap. The six fox siblings were right behind her.

"Eat this!" Hinari threw a punch, striking him in the stomach and twisting. Iwahiko gasped from the pain that racked his body. Hinari withdrew and came in again. Iwahiko tried to strike her, but his fist went right through her like before. The fox siblings came in now, nipping at any part of him they could. He kicked out at Yumeka, but she was already gone. This went on for quite some time, Hinari and her companions coming in, striking and pulling out just when Iwahiko was retaliating.

At last, Iwahiko reached into his pouch and drew out several senbon. He grinned and formed several seals. "Mizu Bunshin no Jutsu." From the water rose up many copies of Iwahiko, senbon and all. "Get ready for this!" He raised his arms to throw the senbon at her.

"Get behind me!" Hinari ordered. The six retreated behind the girl, and Hinari grinned. 'I finally get to try out Mom's technique.' She thought happily. Pulling the Kyuubi's chakra back, she activated her Byakugan and stood straight. And she began moving her hands about, utilizing the water she stood on. The water swished about, resisted the current that pulled it towards the waterfall. Her hands moved faster and faster, and fell into a steady rhythm, which no normal person could have hoped to follow.

"This fight's over!" Iwahiko launched the senbon from all around her. Hinari smirked slightly and gathered more chakra, forming incredibly sharp blades from the palms of her hands.

"Shugohakke Rokujyuuyon Shou!" With incredible speed and accuracy, the senbon were sliced into pieces, rendered useless. But Iwahiko and his clones kept up a steady volley of them. But with each volley thrown, Hinari took them down. Iwahiko exhausted his supply of senbon quickly, and dismissed the clones. There was no need to waste any more chakra. Hinari's hands halted, but it was easy to see that the technique took a toll on her reserves.

"You really shouldn't use an experimental technique in battle." Iwahiko said mockingly. Hinari let out a guttural growl; she had already fallen back into her feral state. Hinari tackled him, and they went tumbling over the waterfall. Iwahiko and Hinari were lost in the spray that was kicked up from the water. But they soon reappeared, exchanging blows, or more like, Hinari pummeling Iwahiko's face, while he tried in vain to block. Iwahiko reached into his pouch and pulled out a final senbon. He grinned; he knew which one this was. Hinari was rushing blindly at him, and he threw it as hard as he could, and it sank into her chest, near her stomach. She ignored the small wound completely in exchange for attempting to punch him.

Finally, Iwahiko successfully grabbed Hinari by the arm and pulled her in. Hinari countered by biting down on his bare arm and ripping at it. Iwahiko screamed in pain and let go of her, giving her a rough shove, only to have his arm ripped off. He stared in horror at the missing appendage. Hinari spat the arm out of her mouth; it floated down the river away from the battle.

"What the fuck are you!?" He gasped in revulsion. Hinari grinned sadistically, very much unlike her normal self.

"A demon." She responded. Hinari held her hand out, palm up and gathered her chakra to it. The chakra and the wind around them gathered into her palm, forming a purple sphere are her blue chakra mingled with the red chakra that belonged to Kyuubi. She smirked and charged. Before Iwahiko had any hope of defending himself Hinari plunged her technique into his chest. "RASENGAN!" The wind and chakra devastated him. His chest was ripped open from the fast moving wind and chakra that was compacted into the technique. All he could do was scream in agony. When the power of the Rasengan was gone, Iwahiko sank into the water, his dead, bruised, beaten, and maimed body carried down the river after his arm.

Hinari sank to her knees from the exertion she'd put into this battle. It would have certainly ended a lot faster had Iwahiko not used the curse seal. But, it was nice for her to have had a challenge. She thought of that ripping, tearing sound of when she'd torn his arm clean off and she heaved. She brought her hand up to her mouth to keep it from falling open and expelling whatever was in stomach.

"Hinari, are you okay?" Akagane asked when he and the rest appeared by her side.

"I-I'm fine." She answered slowly. Hinari's breath came in slow gasps, to get her erratic heartbeat under control, and to calm her nerves. She allowed her control to slip away, and she sank into the water. The rushing cold seemed to help calm her, and she pushed herself out of the water, sitting on top of it. She remembered the senbon embedded into her chest and she carefully yanked it out and let it fall into the river. She stood up, allowing Kyuubi to take care of damage she'd sustained. Hinari walked up to the Shodaime's statue and walked up it, careful to use only enough chakra to allow her feet to stick to it.

When Hinari reached the top, she wandered over to the bank and sat down beside Satoko and Hitomi, still asleep. Hinari removed her cloak and laid it out to dry in the remainder of the sun. She sighed and looked up to the sky. The sun was just starting to set, which gave her only about six to eight hours to get back to the village.

"I don't know if I'll make it back in time." She said.

"Want me to go on ahead?" Akagane asked.

"No, let's keep them in suspense." Hinari replied. She and the six foxes sat there, Hinari felt the cloak and judged it to be dry enough. She took out a kunai and cut it in half, then cut a long strip off it. She wrapped Hitomi in one half of the blanket, and then with the long strip, tied the small girl to her back. Just as Hinari was finishing this, Satoko finally awoke.

"Hinari-'nee-chan!" The girl cried, hugging Hinari tightly. Hinari hugged her back. "Where are we?" Satoko asked.

"We're on the border now. We have to get going to go home." Hinari said as she wrapped the girl in the rest of her cloak, covering up the girls pink pajamas. Hinari lifted her up and carried the girl in her arms. Hinari knew that it was a long trip back, and it would take even longer given the situation. She was tired; the soldier pill had worn off. Plus, she was carrying two girls with her. One of which could have run had she been wearing any form of footwear. "Let's go home." Hinari said. She walked over to the Shodaime's head, and jumped. Satoko couldn't help but scream in fright at the rush it gave her as they fell. Hinari landed on the water, her chakra kicking up a good deal of water, spraying them lightly.

Hinari walked over the water, to the opposite bank and entered the small forest. She stayed on the ground, knowing that for the time being, she needed to conserve her energy.

XxXxXxX

Sasuke glanced between his wife and son. Both were standing, and pacing impatiently. Sakura paced because her daughter, her little girl was still out there somewhere. Takuro paced for a similar reason. He was pacing because Hinari was still out there, but he was also concerned for his little sister as well. Sasuke kept watching them go back and forth.

"Would you two stop it already, it's giving me a headache." Sasuke eventually cried. Sakura and Takuro glanced at him for a second, and then sat down. Sakura stood back up in a second and left her office. She had several patients to check on. Sakura headed down the hall and came to Haruka's room. Overall the young sword mistress hadn't been too badly injured. These injuries hadn't taken too long, it was the large burn-like marking on the girl's arm that had caused the most concern, but it was the girl's oldest brother, Shingane that had assured her that it was normal. After checking on the sleeping girl, Sakura moved on.

Sakura stuck her head inside Kana's room, Kiba had brought the girl back in his arms, and she looked an absolute wreck. She had been crying and refused to let her father leave. Eventually they had to drug her to get her to calm down and sleep. Sakura learned a few minutes afterward that Kouga was dead. Sakura left and came to the room Choujirou was in. The boy had suffered from severe chakra depletion, but he would be fine with enough rest. Inoichirou had fared the best, other than Takuro, in terms of injury. He'd been exhausted, but after a few minutes, he started shivering uncontrollably. It was Sai who realized that the boy must have taken someone's life. Sakura had to put the boy into a dreamless sleep, to avoid psychological damage.

It turned out that Shikatarou had the most damaging injury, by the time he'd gotten back; it had been too late to save his eye. The boy only had one eye; his right eye was now completely useless to him. His younger sister had a slashed tendon that would heal well and would be able to keep on with her life as a ninja.

Daisuke and Masaru had suffered nearly identical burns, but those would heal properly, though Masaru would have a permanent scar on his cheek.

Sakura sighed, so much trouble to bring back two children. There had been two deaths sadly, the funerals would be held simultaneously, as was the norm, in a few days. Hopefully, Hinari would be back by then.

XxXxXxX

Hinari walked across the grassy field where Takuro and Fujitsu's battle had taken place. From the strong breeze that was blowing, she caught the slight scent of rotting flesh and hoped that it was Fujitsu not Takuro who was rotting.

Within a couple hours, Hinari had made to the large forest that would eventually lead her back to Konoha. It was here that Hinari paused and ate a soldier pill; she was going to need it. She took to the trees now, determined not to waste anymore time. Hinari heard a soft moan right behind her and she realized that Hitomi was awake.

"I'm hungry." The little girl said softly. Hinari chuckled.

"Don't worry Hitomi-hime, we'll be home soon then you can eat all you want." Hinari said.

"Even candy?" Satoko asked. Hinari nodded.

"Even candy," Hinari kept on moving, not stopping for anything. Several miles into the forest, she came across a small path of destruction. She moved on passed, it, then realized that a squad of ANBU must have shown up to collect the bodies of the enemies, if they were dead. She wondered which ones had survived and which ones had lived. She also hoped that the rest of her comrades had also lived.

XxXxXxX

It was now nearing sunrise, Hinari could feel it. But she was still several miles from Konoha. She picked up her pace, she was going to get back before the sun rose. She didn't feel like having a hysterical Takuro to deal with. Hinari felt a light tugging on her braid, and she realized that Hitomi was chewing on it. Hinari smiled, she remembered that she used to do that too. Tricking her body into thinking it wasn't hungry by chewing on her hair. Hinari just hoped that the girl didn't bite down on her little decoration. Hinari jumped out of the tree she was standing in and ran the rest of the way down one of the few marked paths in the forest.

Hinari was now standing before the gates of Konoha, the sun just barely starting to lighten the sky up. Hinari looked up at the large gates, wondering how to get in. "Hello!" She called up and over the gates, maybe someone was there. After about a minute, a head appeared at the very top of the gates. "Hey! Open the gate already!" She called up.

"Just a second Hinari!" Hinari recognized the voice to be Shikamaru, it was only confirmed when she smelled tobacco. The gates opened a crack and she slipped through with both girls. "It's about time you showed up. Sakura hasn't slept since you guys headed out." Shikamaru spoke around the stub of a cigarette that hung from his mouth.

"Seriously? I better go then!" Hinari waved to the chain-smoking man and took off down the street to the hospital. Hinari ran down the street, the few civilians that were already awake stared at her in wonder. Hinari realized she must have looked like a sight, her cloak torn up to be shared among the two girls she carried, and her clothes stained in blood. Not her blood at least.

XxXxXxX

Sakura was about ready to drop dead in her office when a nurse burst through the door. "Sakura-sama!"

"What?" Sakura asked.

"Uzumaki Hinari has returned, with both girls!" The nurse cried out. Sakura's eyes widened and she was out the door in a second, Takuro and Sasuke not too far behind. They came to the lobby where Hinari was putting her load down. Satoko and Hitomi were taken away on Sakura's orders to check for any injuries. When Hinari saw Takuro, she only grinned.

"Told you, I'd be back by sunrise." She said with a slight laugh. Hinari attempted to take a step forward but instead she pitched forward and landed in his arms. Takuro swept her into his arms easily.

"I didn't doubt you for one second." He said.

"Sure. I bet it I'd been one hour late, you'd have been ripping your hair out." Hinari said.

"Takuro, take Hinari home." Sakura said. Takuro nodded, and headed out the door, Hinari in his arms.

"I'm impressed, you came back relatively uninjured." He said.

"Relatively, a few bruises, a cut or two, but that's about it." Hinari said. She was glad to finally complete the mission, so she wrapped her arms around his neck and took in his scent. Hinari blinked and found that for once, she couldn't describe something she smelled. Whatever it was that Takuro smelled like, it was nice, and rather intoxicating.

They came to Hinari's apartment, and Takuro put Hinari down on her bed, and was on his way out when he fell flat on the floor from exhaustion. Hinari laughed and dragged him to her bed and managed to shove him onto it. She soon fell asleep beside him.

XxXxXxX

Hikaru stared at Hinari and Takuro, they had carelessly left Hinari's door open, so she let herself in. Both kids still slept, Hinari's head resting on his shoulder, and he had an arm around her waist. 'It's so sweet, it practically tastes like sugar.' She thought. Eventually, Takuro stirred and his eyes opened, but he made no move to rise. Instead, he turned over onto his side, and wrapped both arms around Hinari and fell back asleep. Hikaru snickered, wishing sorely that she had a camera at the moment.

**Yay! One more chapter done! Next couple chapters will be a tad angsty. You have been warned. So, tell me what you think. Did you think that Hinari's fight with Iwahiko was a bit much in terms of the goriness? Let me know please.**

_Everyone stood in silently in the rain as Konohamaru delivered his speech. The rain was turning the remaining snow to slush and washing it away, but no one cared about that. One by one, everyone stepped forward to place a flower on the graves of Hideo and Kouga. Kana was crying more than anyone else, Kuromaru and Tsukishiro walked with her, whimpering softly as well. Tsubaki hobbled forward, Asuma supporting her, and they each placed a flower for the two fallen shinobi._

_It was now Hinari's turn, she placed a flower and Hideo's grave, pausing for a moment. She still remembered what he'd said in his final moments, he had truly wanted to burry the hatchet between them, and he did. But she wished greatly that he was still with them. Hinari followed those before her and cast a sad glance at Arashi, who lingered at the very back, still gripping her cane, but not as tightly as before._

_"Hikaru-sensei?" Tsubaki spoke quietly._

_"What is it?" Hikaru asked._

_"Why do shinobi sacrifice themselves?" She asked. Hinari turned her eyes to the ground and sighed. Tsubaki had spoken the words Hinari herself wanted to know the answer to so badly._


	34. Chapter 34: Kana's Grief

Hinari

Chapter 34

Sakura Hanamoto

**uchiha-itachi-3434: Thanks for your support.**

Hinari awoke well rested and refreshed, but very hungry. She attempted to sit up, but found her movements hampered by Takuro. She carefully pried his arms apart to release her and she slipped out of bed. She knew that there wasn't anything in the kitchen, so she decided to go eat out.

"Wait for me." She turned to see a rather lethargic Takuro trying to get out of bed. Hinari laughed and pushed him back down.

"You are still tired, stay here, I'll bring you something." She said.

"How come you can move already? You were gone longer than me." He whined and gave a pout. Hinari had to admit, he did look kind of cute like that.

"I have more chakra than you do." She responded. "I'll be back!" With that, Hinari bounded out the door. Takuro sighed, and sat up.

'I'm actually surprised that she doesn't mind me sleeping next to her like that.' He thought. He got up and looked around Hinari's apartment. For all the time he'd spent in it, he never really took in much of his surroundings. The photograph of the team sat on her dresser top.

It depicted, himself, standing between Hinari and Tsubaki, and Hikaru had her arms draped over each girl's shoulders, pulling them closer into the picture. He chuckled at the picture. His sat on the mantelpiece of the fireplace at home, beside two pictures of his parents' old team. The first was their original squad, the three genin and their jounin teacher. The second was a complete photograph taken after Sasuke had returned to the village. It showed the three original students, and their teacher, plus two others, he vaguely recalled their names to be Yamato and Sai.

Takuro looked about to small apartment in which the girl lived. At the small table that served as the dining table, there was a sketch pad that had collected a good deal of dust, no doubt it hadn't been touched since the Chuunin Exam at least. Curiously, Takuro picked it up, and blew the dust off. He flipped it to the first page and saw a picture of the village, he wasn't sure where Hinari had been when she drew this, but it looked like she'd been sitting at the Hokage Monument at the time. He continued to flip through the book; there was a quick sketch of a sleeping Akagane about halfway through it. He came to the second to last page that wasn't blank and blinked in surprise.

'Is that me?' He thought. It was a drawing of a boy based on the anatomy, it wasn't complete yet, he could see the light circles that had been drawn to get the proportions right. The faint outline of the hair resembled his own, and the stance looked like him as well.

"What are you doing?" Takuro dropped the sketch book and spun around to face Hinari, who had returned.

"Oh! Uh, Hinari! Uh…well…that is…uh…" He sputtered; he couldn't come up with an excuse. To his utter amazement, Hinari began to laugh. "Huh?"

"Jeez Takuro, I'm only kidding." Hinari said. "I'm not one of those people who hate letting anyone see their drawings. Personally I think it's stupid." She said.

"Uh, oh," Takuro bent and picked the sketch book off the floor and set it back down on the table. "You're pretty good." He said as Hinari set a shopping bag down on the table.

"Thank you." Hinari pulled out two take out containers from Ichiraku. "Here's a beef ramen for you, and miso for me." She said, handing him the container.

"Thanks." Takuro peeled the lid off and picked up a pair of chopsticks from the bag and began eating. The two ate in silence, until there was a knock on the door. Hinari got up and answered, to see Sasuke standing there.

"I'm looking for Takuro." He said, getting straight to the point.

"He's in here." Hinari replied, opening the door further, allowing the man entrance. Sasuke stepped inside, brushing passed Hinari. Her eyes widened slightly when she caught the faint scent of tainted chakra. That's when she realized where she'd smelled it previous to her battle against Iwahiko.

"Oh, hi Dad." Takuro greeted his father in between bites.

"Finish eating, then we'll head home." Sasuke told him. Takuro nodded and continued to eat. Hinari closed the door and returned to her own bowl. But she didn't eat.

"You okay Hinari?" Takuro asked.

"Um, Sasuke-san, um, I don't mean to ask personal questions, but do you have a curse seal placed on you?" Hinari queried hesitantly. Sasuke blinked, took a moment to take in her question, and then gave a sigh.

"As a matter of fact, yes." He responded, tugging on the collar of his shirt, just enough to show her the seal on the back of his neck. "Why do you ask?"

"Well, the guy I fought to get Hitomi and Satoko back, he had a curse seal too." Hinari answered. Sasuke raised an eyebrow. After a moment of silence, he spoke again.

"How far did the markings go across his face? Was his skin an unnatural color? Did he have any odd growths?" Hinari listened to the string of questions, answering each of them.

"They only came halfway across his face, and down one arm, that's as far as I could tell. But his skin was normal and nothing was growing out of him." She said. Sasuke nodded.

"Tell me, did he mention the name Orochimaru at all?" Hinari's head snapped up.

"Yes, he told me that you were his former apprentice." Sasuke nodded, affirming her statement.

"An unfortunate decision on my part." He murmured. Sasuke turned to his son. "Takuro, stay here, I need to speak with the Hokage, I'll be back when I'm done." He said, and he swept out of Hinari's apartment.

XxXxXxX

Konohamaru did not react too well to the news Sasuke brought him. "Are you certain, that it is the Orochimaru?" Konohamaru asked.

"Yes, there can be no doubt. Hinari told me that the boy she fought against had a curse seal, only Orochimaru knew how to place them on a human being. Not only that, he was after my daughter, a carrier of the Sharingan. It's possible that his goals are the same as they were years ago." Konohamaru heaved a sigh.

"This is not going to be easy. We're going to need confirmation on this. Can you question Hinari again; we need to make sure we get as much information as possible." Konohamaru said.

"Wouldn't it be better if Neji did it? It seems that the girl will not trust me fully because of my own brand." Sasuke suggested. He subconsciously rubbed the back of his neck.

"Yes, I suppose that would be best. After the funeral though, that would be the best time." Konohamaru told him. "You're dismissed." Sasuke nodded and left to collect his son.

XxXxXxX

Everyone stood in silence in the rain as Konohamaru delivered his speech. The rain was turning the remaining snow to slush and washing it away, but no one cared about that. One by one, everyone stepped forward to place a flower on the graves of Hideo and Kouga. Kana was crying more than anyone else, Kuromaru and Tsukishiro walked with her, whimpering softly as well. Tsubaki hobbled forward, Asuma supporting her, and they each placed a flower for the two fallen shinobi.

It was now Hinari's turn, she placed a flower and Hideo's grave, pausing for a moment. She still remembered what he'd said in his final moments, he had truly wanted to burry the hatchet between them, and he did. But she wished greatly that he was still with them. Despite his aversion to her upon their first meeting, he really had been a good person. Hinari followed those before her and cast a sad glance at Arashi, who lingered at the very back, still gripping her cane, but not as tightly as before.

"Hikaru-sensei?" Tsubaki spoke quietly.

"What is it?" Hikaru asked.

"Why do shinobi sacrifice themselves?" She asked. Hinari turned her eyes to the ground and sighed. Tsubaki had spoken the words Hinari herself wanted to know the answer to so badly. Hikaru paused to think about this for a bit.

"Well, when you graduated, you took an oath correct?" Tsubaki nodded. "That oath states that as a true ninja, you must follow orders at all costs, and complete the mission to the best of your abilities. If a ninja must give their life for the mission, they will. Their strength or their will for the mission to continue is passed on to the surviving squad. That's what here in Fire Country we call the Will of the Fire. That fire is inherited by those still living."

"Those who inherit the Will of Fire." Shikamaru said, placing his hands on his daughter's shoulders. Tsubaki looked up at him, blinking rain water out of her eyes.

"So then, it was Kouga's and Hideo's will?" Hinari asked, her voice was soft and quiet. Hikaru nodded. Takuro appeared by Hinari's side, and gave her hand a comforting squeeze.

"Every ninja who dies in battle is a hero to this village. They know that their life is worth much less then the lives of the village as a whole, and if giving their life will save the lives of those precious to them, as well as the many strangers of the village, then they have made a worthy sacrifice." Shikamaru murmured. For a moment his thoughts strayed back to his own teacher's final moments.

"Don't worry Tsubaki; their sacrifices were not in vain." Asuma told the girl. Tsubaki nodded, not quiet reassured by his words. Asuma looked up and saw his mother approaching.

"Asuma, come on already, you said you'd help me cleanout today." The woman said.

"Okay Mom, I'm coming." Asuma gave Tsubaki's a hair an affectionate ruffle and joined his mother. "See you later Moyashi-chan!" He called back to her. Tsubaki forgot her grief momentarily.

"Don't call me that!" She yelled back at him. She heard him chuckle.

XxXxXxX

Hinari sat with Neji; he'd called her to the Hyuuga complex a couple days after the funeral.

"Hinari, I need your help with something." He explained as they walked through the halls.

"With what?"

"This way." He led her down the halls, and stepped into an empty room. Hinari followed him inside, and the door shut securely.

"Now sit down and relax." Hinari did as she was told. Neji placed his hand on her forehead and concentrated. "I need you to tell me everything that happened during your fight with that boy from Oto." He said. Hinari nodded.

"After leaving Takuro to take care one of the other Oto-nin, I pursued the final one all the way to the Valley of the End. It was there where, I found out his motive for taking both girls. At first, our conversation consisted of the recent history of the Valley, including the battle between my father and Sasuke-san. I then asked him why he took the girls. At first he didn't answer, and our battle began. After exchanging blows, I asked him again. He said: 'Knowing that you won't live for much longer, I suppose I could tell you. He wants them for their eyes. The all seeing Byakugan, as well as the Sharingan. His goal is to copy every technique in the world. With the Uchiha, he can use her body to do it, and the Byakugan will only make his forces stronger.' That was his reason. He also told me of the curse seal, and Orochimaru, the man he took orders from. The curse seal made him much stronger, almost strong enough to compete with Kyuubi-san's chakra.

"Then, after more blows, I ripped his arm off with my bare teeth." Hinari paused for a moment, fighting down her urge to puke. 'I killed him, and brought the girls back." Hinari ended her summary of the battle and opened her eyes again.

"Thank you Hinari, you can go now if you wish." Hinari stood up and headed to the door.

"Uncle Neji?"

"Yes?"

"Lately, since I came back from the afterlife, I've been having a harder time staying in control." She said.

"It's probably just an after effect. It'll pass." He reassured her. Hinari nodded and left.

'I hope you're right Uncle Neji. Every passing moment feels like I'll snap and unleash Kyuubi upon the world.' She thought as she left the large compound. Hinari shivered at the idea of it. Hinari walked down the street, not paying attention to where she was going, she was just walking for the sake of it. She bumped into someone; it caused her to snap out of her musings.

"Watch where you're going demon bitch!" Hinari's head snapped up, and she growled, her eyes already blood red.

"Say that again." Hinari growled, she was already crouched low, ready to spring. The man she'd bumped into looked upon her in fright. He stammered an apology and ran away. Hinari quickly returned to a more human state, not even realizing that she'd pulled out some of Kyuubi's chakra. She continued on her way, but as she walked, she began to feel severely drained. She paused and leaned against the window of a nearby shop. Hinari got her second wind and carried on her way, deciding to go home and get some sleep.

XxXxXxX

Neji stood before the Hokage, giving his report on Hinari's testament.

"Is that all she said?" Konohamaru queried.

"Yes, but," Neji trailed off for a moment, "she told me that since her momentary passing on, she's been having difficulty controlling the Kyuubi's chakra. I trailed her after she left, she threatened a civilian that called her 'demon bitch', then she went on her way, she didn't even seem to realize that her eyes had turned red." Neji gave a sigh. "I fear that Hinari may lose total control soon."

"Hmm, keep an eye on her when you can." Konohamaru told him. Neji nodded.

"I will."

"You're dismissed." Neji gave a quick bow and left. Konohamaru stood and looked out the window. 'A strange development indeed.' He thought. 'But, many of those children haven't been the same since their last mission. Kana especially.'

XxXxXxX

"Kiba." Sakura called to him. Kiba had been picking Kana up at the hospital at the time.

"What do you need?" He asked.

"Keep an eye on Kana; I fear that she may do something drastic." Sakura said.

"Drastic? What do you mean?"

"She said that she was there when her brother died." Sakura began slowly, picking her words cautiously. "This has never been truly proven, but the thing with twins, well, generally, twins are always very close, whether they are of the same gender or not. They may drift apart a bit as their interests change, but normally, they still stick close together. Well, because Kana and Kouga were so close, they had a kind of bond to each other. It's possible with Kouga's death, that not only will Kana be depressed, but maybe even suicidal."

"Suicidal?" Sakura nodded.

"Watch for signs of deep depression, if she is depressed, but then her mood suddenly changes to be seem like she's cheered up and is happy, it might mean that she plans on committing suicide." Kiba nodded.

"I'll keep an eye on her."

"Also, she did say that his killers are still alive, she may also attempt to seek revenge. Try to keep her in sight as much as possible." Sakura said. Kiba nodded again, he followed his daughter down the hall.

"Come on Kana, we don't want to be late for dinner." Kiba cracked a smile, trying to get Kana to join in, but she didn't seem to respond to him. Kiba sighed. 'I hope Sakura isn't right.' He thought sadly.

**Whoa! Short chapter, well, shorter than most anyway. Well, hope you liked it though, despite the short length.**

_"What would your brother say if he knew what you were about to do?" The cloaked figure asked Kana. She gave a sigh._

_"Onii-chan, he would say: 'Silly Willy, don't bother with it. I don't want you to get hurt, so just accept that it isn't so easily within your control.'" Kana said._

_"The path of an avenger is a lonely one; there is no room for friends, family, or relationships. If you cannot give that up, stay here and continued to live out your life." This figure told her._

_"I-I hate them for killing my brother, but, I do want to avenge him."_

_"How badly?"_

_"I-," Kana faltered._

_"If you cannot answer, you do not wish it so. Remain in the village; I'm certain that your brother watches over you now. Do not worry his soul; allow him to rest in peace, knowing that perhaps one day, you will get the revenge you crave for. But not now." Kana nodded, not certain if the figure she spoke to could see her. _

_"You're right. Thank you." Kana turned around and walked back home._

_The figure pulled the hood off to reveal Sasuke; he smiled, knowing that he had saved someone from the path he once followed so many years before._


	35. Chapter 35: The Path of Vengeance

Hinari

Chapter 35

Sakura Hanamoto

**Temari Sabaku Nara: Yes, Hinari ripped the guy's arm off with her teeth. And the reason will be exaplined within the next two chapters, so odn't worry.**

Hinari groaned and sat up. She blinked several times to block out the sun that filtered in through her window. She rolled over and flopped onto the ground with a dull thump. "Ow," Slowly, she pulled herself to her feet and stretched. Hinari dragged herself to the bathroom and peered at herself in the mirror. She blinked again, and moved in closer to the mirror, stroking the whisker marks on her cheeks. 'Is it just me or are they, more defined?' She thought. They certainly looked like they were. She splashed cold water onto her face and plodded out to change. She pulled out a fresh shirt when there was a knock on the door.

Hinari growled and stomped to the door. 'Who the hell is knocking at this time in the morning?' She thought in annoyance. She yanked the door open roughly and barked, "What?" Tsubaki flinched back. "Oh, sorry Tsubaki." She apologized.

"It's okay; I didn't think you were a morning person." Tsubaki laughed nervously. Hinari had sounded down right pissed when she opened the door. "I was going to ask if you want to come with me on a little shopping trip." Hinari thought about it.

"Sure, okay." Hinari agreed anything to let her get out of her apartment for a little while.

"Of course Takuro gets to tag along and carry our bags." Tsubaki giggled. Hinari laughed as well at the thought. Hinari let Tsubaki in and changed out of her pajamas. The two headed out, meeting Takuro halfway to the shopping district.

XxXxXxX

Tsubaki ran from one shop to another so quickly, she soon left Takuro and Hinari in the dust.

"She must really like shopping." Hinari muttered. Takuro nodded, and adjusted the bags in his hands.

"Let's try and keep up." He said, Hinari agreed and they attempted to chase after Tsubaki, but it was too difficult. Takuro was thankful that so far, Hinari hadn't purchased anything, he felt like he'd be crushed by all the bags he was carrying. As they were leaving a clothing store, Temari dragged Shikamaru in with her. Upon noticing them, Shikamaru gave a low chuckle.

"Welcome to my world kid." He said, the comment aimed at Takuro.

"Tsubaki! Slow down already!" Hinari called to the blonde girl, hoping she would. Tsubaki didn't. Hinari sighed. Hinari threw her hands together to form a familiar seal. "Kage Bunshin no Jutsu." Three clones puffed into being, all three of them took a bit of Takuro's load off of him.

"Thanks Hinari." Hinari nodded. Now they could more easily keep up with Tsubaki.

"Come on." The two followed after the blonde whirlwind. Before they realized it, it was already noon, and they were starving. Tsubaki opened her purse and found that she was nearly out of money. She had just enough to eat lunch and that was it.

"What do you guys want for lunch?" Tsubaki asked when Hinari, Takuro, and the three replications pulled up with her. Hinari gave a shrug.

"I don't care really." She replied.

"Same here." Takuro said, he sounded quite exhausted. Tsubaki looked around and spotted a nice little restaurant. They made their way over to it and grabbed a table outside. Despite it still being winter and not even halfway through January yet, it was quite sunny, and warm enough for the temperature to be bearable.

"What do you guys want to do after this?" Tsubaki asked them.

"Go home." Takuro answered. Hinari shrugged. "I'm going to visit Machi-san. Haven't talked to her since just before the finals of the Exam." She said.

Once the three finished eating, and having to talk to the manager about refusing to serve Hinari, they parted ways. Tsubaki, taking the three replications with her to get her purchases home. Hinari passed by the Hyuuga compound on her way to the weapons shop. Hitomi had been playing in the courtyard with Tenten when Hinari passed by. The small girl dropped the beach ball she'd been playing with and ran to greet Hinari.

"Hinari-'nee-chan!" Hitomi hugged Hinari around the waist.

"Let go of me you brat." Hinari growled out without realizing it. Hitomi looked on at her in fear. Tenten heard the exchange and ran out, scooping the child into her arms. Hinari groaned and rubbed her temples. "What happened?" She asked aloud.

"You scared Hitomi-chan." Tenten replied. Hinari balked upon hearing this.

"I did what now?" She had to make sure, it certainly didn't sound like her.

"You scared her." Tenten repeated. "Please Hinari, leave." Hinari nodded and walked as quickly as possible down the street.

'What the hell is wrong with me?' Hinari thought. First I snap at Tsubaki, and then at Hitomi-hime.' Hinari failed to notice that Takuro had followed her. He'd observed a change in her attitude, and saw fit to investigate. He saw Hitomi crying in Tenten's arms. Cautiously, he approached. When Hitomi saw him, she twisted around in Tenten's arms and hugged Takuro around the neck. He awkwardly patted the top of her head.

"It's okay Hitomi-hime." He spoke, in an attempt to comfort the girl. "Hinari-chan isn't feeling very well right now." He said.

"Is she sick?" Hitomi asked him.

"I don't know, but don't worry; I'll help her get better." He reassured the little girl.

"Do you love her?" Takuro blinked in surprise at the girl's question.

"What makes you say that?"

"Uncle Neji calls Auntie Tenten 'Tenten-chan' because he loves her. You called Hinari-'nee-chan, 'Hinari-chan', does that mean you love her?" Takuro smiled.

"Yes I do, but that can be our little secret, okay?" Hitomi let go of him and nodded. "And your Auntie Tenten's too." Takuro looked up at the woman; she nodded, giving the boy a smile. Takuro ruffled Hitomi's hair and Tenten put the girl on the ground and she ran back into the courtyard.

"You're pretty good with kids." Tenten remarked.

"That's what I get for being Satoko's babysitter." He answered. Tenten laughed. He gave her a nod and walked away.

"Bye-bye onii-chan!" Hitomi called to him. Takuro waved to her and turned the corner, heading home.

'Hinari, what happened during our last mission?' He thought. Takuro couldn't think of any cause for her behavior. It just made no sense, but what scared him the most was the consideration of whether or not, Hinari's behavior would become more and more dangerous to those around her.

XxXxXxX

Kana stood in at the memorial site, her brother's name was freshly carved on it. She ran her fingers over his name and sighed. 'Onii-chan,' she really did miss her brother still. It had been maybe two to three weeks since the mission, but she still grieved for him. Kuromaru and Tsukishiro waited behind her. Since Kouga's death, Kuromaru had attached himself to his Kana.

'Onii-chan, what should I do. I know you told me to keep on living, but what do I have to live for?' She thought. 'If those two hadn't run away, we might both be dead. I want revenge, of course I do, but should I seek them out?' Kana sighed and turned away from the stone. She walked away, both dogs at her heels.

"Hey Kana, wanna come with us to get something to eat?" Daisuke asked. Kana looked up at her teammates. She shook her head.

"No thanks, I'm not hungry." She replied, brushing passed the two boys. Masaru glanced at her retreating form then turned back to his friend.

"She's been, different since then." He commented. Daisuke agreed with him wholeheartedly.

Kana had walked home and proceeded to lock herself in her room. She sat on the floor, leaning against the wall, her head between her knees. Silently, tears spilled from her eyes and spattered on the floor beneath her. Eventually she came to a realization. 'If I'm ever going to be able to move on, I need to kill them.' She thought. She smiled and crawled into bed to catch some sleep, already making plans.

Outside her room, Kiba paused to listen through the door, but heard nothing. He went on his way down the hallway.

XxXxXxX

It was late at night, and Sasuke was out for a late night walk. He approached the Inuzuka house and saw someone skulking about. He plunged into the shadow of a nearby building and pulled the hood of his cloak up, throwing his face into darker shadows. He had an idea of who was moving about, just by the size of the person.

Kana walked steadily away from her home. She carried a minimal amount of supplies with her. Nor was she taking Tsukishiro or Kuromaru with her. Kana breathed a sigh of relief, no one had noticed her absence yet, or so she thought.

"Kana," Kana jumped and looked about, her hand already going for a kunai.

"Wh-who's there?" She demanded.

"Don't worry, I won't hurt you." Kana didn't fully relax after this statement; she kept her hand near her kunai holster just to be safe.

"What are you doing here?" Kana asked.

"I could be asking you the same thing." The figure replied.

"I-I-," Kana had no answer. Instead, she stared at her feet.

"What would your brother say if he knew what you were about to do?" The cloaked figure asked Kana. She gave a sigh.

"Onii-chan, he would say: 'Silly Willy, don't bother with it. I don't want you to get hurt, so just accept that there isn't anything you can do now, so don't worry about it.'" Kana said. The figure sighed.

"The path of an avenger is a lonely one; there is no room for friends, family, or relationships. If you cannot give that up, stay here and continue to live out your life." The figure told her.

"I-I hate them for killing my brother, and, I do want to avenge him."

"How badly?"

"I-," Kana faltered.

"If you cannot answer, you do not wish it so. Remain in the village; I'm certain that your brother watches over you now. Do not worry his soul; allow him to rest in peace, knowing that perhaps one day, you will get the revenge you crave for. But not now." Kana nodded, not certain if the figure she spoke to could see her.

"You're right. Thank you." Kana turned around and walked back home.

The figure pulled the hood off to reveal Sasuke; he smiled, knowing that he had saved someone from the path he once followed so many years before.

XxXxXxX

Hinari sat up; she couldn't sleep no matter how tired she was. She sat at her table, a blank scroll and a pen in her hand. She felt the need to write a letter. But she didn't know what to talk about, or who to address it to.

'What the hell am I doing?' She thought angrily. She slammed the pen down, stood and crawled into bed, hoping to finally get some sleep. She pulled herself farther into her mind to speak to Kyuubi face-to-face.

XxXxXxX

_"Oh, hello Hinari-chan, it's been some time since we spoke like this." He remarked. Hinari nodded in agreement._

_"Kyuubi-san, there's something wrong with me. I can't seem to control your chakra as well as I used to be able to." She said._

_"I've noticed it myself, but I can't find the cause of it. Don't worry Hinari, we'll figure it out." He said. "You just concentrate on getting some rest." Hinari nodded again and walked away._

XxXxXxX

Kiba awoke to find Akamaru sitting in front of him. Kiba jumped at the sight of his furry companion. "A-Akamaru, what the hell are you doing?" He demanded. His yelling ended up waking up his wife.

"Kiba, do have to be so loud in the morning?" She asked as she sat up.

"Sorry Kanami." Kiba got out of bed, still waiting for Akamaru to answer his question. "Well, what's so urgent that you have to freak me out like that?"

"Kana's gone." Akamaru said. Kiba jumped up, and changed quickly.

"Why the hell didn't you say so earlier?" He ran out of the room, with Akamaru at his heels. Kiba paused and pulled on his sandals and opened the front door. He came out running, only to trip and fall on his face. "What the hell?" Kiba rubbed his nose and looked at what he'd tripped over, it was Kana. "Ah, Kana." Kiba picked his daughter up and carried her back inside. Kiba took Kana to her room and put her down on her bed. Then, he spun on Akamaru and gave the large dog an accusing glare. "You knew, didn't you?" Akamaru seemed to grin.

"Of course I did."

"Then, why the hell did you do that?" Kiba demanded.

"I thought it'd be funny." Kiba glared.

"It's hardly funny." Kiba crossed his arms and walked out to the kitchen where he saw Kanami making breakfast.

"Back already?"

"She was sleeping at the front door. _Someone_ thought it would be funny to trick me into thinking that she was gone." Kanami giggled.

"Akamaru sure is a strange one."

"Ah, I liked him better when he couldn't talk." Kiba muttered. Kanami set a plate of eggs and bacon in front of him and Kiba ate it silently.

"I haven't seen Hana around much." Kanami commented.

"The vet's office has been going crazy lately, that's all. I swear, she needs to train herself a replacement or die of stress." Kiba told her.

"Who takes over when she dies, now?"

"Kana, since 'nee-chan never did bother to find herself a guy, she doesn't have any kids." Kanami nodded and set aside some eggs and bacon for when Kana woke up, not doubting that the girl would be hungry.

XxXxXxX

"Mom, there's something wrong with Hinari." Takuro said. He'd walked with his mother to the hospital.

"What do you mean?"

"She's loosing control." He responded.

"When did you notice this?"

"Just yesterday, she snapped at Hitomi, but she didn't seem to realize it. Could there be something wrong with the seal?"

"No, that seal was originally created by the Yondaime, plus, she's too young for it to start breaking down already. It may be something else. Takuro, do you think you can secure a bit of her blood for me to take a look at?"

"I don't know, how would I go about doing that?" Sakura thought for a moment.

"That's the hard part." Sakura thought for a moment longer, and then snapped her fingers when she figured it out. "Bring her to the hospital today; she's about due for a physical anyway." Takuro nodded and ran off.

XxXxXxX

"Okay Hinari, it's about time for your physical, so I might as well do it now." Sakura explained to Hinari. "Takuro, out." Takuro nodded and left the room. "Now let's see, first things first, let's check how well you're breathing." Sakura pulled out a stethoscope and pressed it again Hinari's chest. Hinari breathed in and out as instructed. Sakura proceeded to check her lungs and went on from there.

"Now, last of all, I need a blood sample, theses physicals just check for obvious things, taking a blood sample can tell me if you're carrying any diseases that haven't shown themselves yet." Hinari nodded and she twitched a bit when the needle was pushed through. She watched with fascination as the syringe filled with her blood. Sakura pulled the syringe out and watched as the miniscule opening healed over. "Okay, you're done. You can go ahead and go home." Hinari got up from the table she'd been sitting on and left.

XxXxXxX

Kana once again stood in front of the memorial stone. "Onii-chan, I'm sorry if I worried you." She paused. "I won't do anything so reckless again." Kana ran her fingers over her brother's name. "But I will get stronger, I'll get stronger for the both of us, I swear it." Kana straightened and turned to walk away.

"Kana! Hurry up; Takuya-sensei will get pissed if we're late!" Daisuke called to the girl. Kana grinned and ran to catch up, Kuromaru and Tsukishiro barked in delight, noting the happy demeanor their master gave off.

"Come on you slowpokes!" Kana called as she ran passed Daisuke and Masaru. Both boys glanced at each other and grinned. The Kana they knew was finally back.

**Hurray, slightly longer chapter. I know Sasuke seems OOC, but he's older, more mature, and he's an adult. People's personalities don't stay the same as it was when they're kids, so he's allowed to be OOC from the personality we currently know. Review and tell me what you think!**

_Sakura peered through the microscope, adjusting the lens so she can see Hinari's blood cells clearly. What she saw shocked her. Sakura ran out of the room and found Shizune._

_"Shizune-san!"_

_"What is it Sakura?"_

_"Can you get me Tsunade-sama please, I need her help with something." Sakura requested. Shizune dropped the pen she had been holding, it had been years since Sakura had needed Tsunade's assistance with something. Whatever it was, it had to be extremely important._


	36. Chapter 36: Searching for a Cure

Hinari

Chapter 36

Sakura Hanamoto

**Temari Sabaku Nara and Kiraxsama: Thanks for your support guys. I really really appreciate it.**

Sakura woke up several weeks later to find the room spinning. She groaned and stumbled across the hall to the bathroom where she proceeded to throw up what was left of the previous night's dinner. It wasn't long before she realized what it was. Being an experienced medic and a mother, only confirmed it.

"Sakura, breakfast is ready." Sasuke said. When she didn't answer, he pushed the door open a tad. "You okay?" He asked.

"I-I think I'm pregnant." She said. Sasuke took a second to take in his wife's revelation, then, he scooped her up and spun about a couple times.

"That's great." He said as he set her back down. Sakura nodded. Sakura knelt over the toilet bowl and threw up again.

"I'll be down in a second." She said. Sasuke nodded and left. Sakura stood and waited until the room didn't spin as much. She walked through the house and came to the kitchen. Sasuke was serving Satoko while Takuro ate very slowly.

"What's wrong Takuro?" Sasuke asked. Takuro shook his head and went on eating.

XxXxXxX

Hinari sat at home, avoiding going outside as much as possible. Since snapping at Hitomi, she'd inadvertently threatened four other villagers in the past four weeks. Like that night many weeks before, she sat at the table with a blank scroll before her and a pen in her hand. But unlike that last time, she was able to write, and she wrote steadily and easily. When she was done, she rolled the scroll up and stuffed it in her pocket.

'I guess I can try and apologize to the baker. It was my own fault he yelled at me.' She thought standing and heading to the door. The weather was warming up rather quickly, the strange weather patterns never ceasing in the country. All the snow had long since melted and turned to mush and evaporated in the sun. Now, in early February, and few days from Takuro's thirteenth birthday, she headed out.

"Excuse me sir." Hinari began slowly. The baker had finished setting out some fresh rolls on the shelf when she entered. He jumped back and pressed himself against the wall as far away from her as possible.

"Please don't hurt me." He expected Hinari to lunge at him, but instead, she bowed as low as her spine would allow.

"I'm very sorry for frightening you before." She said. Hinari then straightened and looked up at the man.

"Oh, uh, apology accepted." He said. He looked down at a loaf of bread that he'd just set out and grabbed it. He put it in a bag and handed it to her. "Here you go, it's on me."

"For me?" Hinari was astonished. No one, except for Ayame, had willingly given her food before. The baker nodded. Hinari took the loaf from him.

"Thank you sir." She bowed again and ran out of the bakery. He breathed a sigh of relief and watched her through the window.

'She's not such a bad kid I guess.' He thought.

XxXxXxX

"Well, let's get this over and done with." Sakura mumbled. She held Hinari's vial of blood up to the light. Sakura pulled out a fresh slid and allowed a drop of blood to land on it. Placing a slip over the blood, she slid it onto the platform of the microscope. Sakura unconsciously had her hand on her stomach while she worked. She still wasn't sure if she really was pregnant, but so far, she had all the signs of it. Sakura leaned forward to look into the microscope when there was a knock on the door. "Who is it?"

"I have some forms for you to sign, Sakura-sama." A nurse spoke through the door.

"Leave it on my desk, I'll sign them later." Sakura said. She heard the nurse walk down the hall.

Sakura peered through the microscope, adjusting the lens so she can see Hinari's blood cells clearly. What she saw shocked her. Sakura ran out of the room and found Shizune.

"Shizune-san!"

"What is it Sakura?"

"Can you get me Tsunade-sama please, I need her help with something." Sakura requested. Shizune dropped the pen she had been holding, it had been years since Sakura had needed Tsunade's assistance with something. Whatever it was, it had to be extremely important. Shizune immediately ran off to find the woman.

XxXxXxX

Shikatarou walked down the street heading towards his team's training grounds when he sensed movement to his right. He turned his head to see, but whatever it was, it was gone already. He kept on moving, but the sound of endless giggling was starting to annoy him. He moved the band that kept his eye patch in place and scratched his forehead. He spun around, and sure enough, there they were. A legion of fangirls. He stared in awe and fear. At first he thought they were after someone else, but the screams of, "Shika-kun!" told him that he was the target. He backed up a step, but they continued to advance. Then, he turned and ran for his life.

Tsubaki paused when she felt the thundered of many feet on the ground. Looking around she spotted the source and nearly collapsed in laughter.

"Tsubaki! Tsubaki, help!" Shikatarou ran behind his sister and hid. "Help me?" He begged weakly.

"It'll cost you." She said, grinning.

"Fine, just do something!" He shrieked out, his voice cracking as it reached an unnatural pitch. Tsubaki's pulled out her fan, and with a powerful swing, she blew every single fangirl away. When they were gone, Shikatarou straightened and ran his fingers through his hair. "Thanks shorty."

"Now for my payment." Tsubaki grinned wickedly. "You have to do all my chores for the rest of the week." She said. Shikatarou groaned.

"Fine." He slumped his shoulders and stuffed his hands in his pockets and walked away. 'I hate fangirls.' He thought. Then he remembered, Valentine's Day was in about two weeks. 'Oh god I'm not looking forward to that!'

XxXxXxX

"Sakura, what did you need me for?" A tall blonde woman entered the lab, her brown eyes sweeping around the room only for a moment before focusing on the pink haired woman.

"Take a look at this." Sakura indicated the microscope and moved over for her former teacher to look into the lens. Tsunade looked at it for a couple moments before staring at Sakura in amazement.

"Whose blood is this?" Tsunade asked as she turned back to the microscope.

"It's Hinari's." Sakura replied. What Tsunade was seeing was incredible. Whatever had gotten into Hinari's system, it was running wild.

"This is incredible. Whatever this foreign substance is, it's eating away at her normal chakra." Tsunade leaned against the counter. "Has she become more snappish lately, or is she using the Kyuubi's chakra more?"

"According to what Takuro saw, her short fuse has gotten even shorter, and she scares the villagers with threats every time they insult her." Sakura said.

"This is bad; we have to get that thing out of her system before it destroys her and the whole village as well." Sakura nodded.

XxXxXxX

Hinari moved through the forest, pausing to study any interesting plant she came across. Umi was with her, and she would explain the plants properties to the girl. Hinari took in the information like a sponge and logged it away somewhere in her memory for future reference.

"Umi, are there any plants that can make a person berserk?" Hinari asked. Umi thought for a moment.

"Not that I'm aware of. If there is one, it's not native to the region, I'd know of it if it were. Why do you ask?"

"Just curious." Hinari responded. Umi nodded, still slightly suspicious. Hinari paused and looked up at the sun. The sun was beginning to set. "I better get back now before they close the gates." Hinari made her way through the forest, headed back to the village.

XxXxXxX

Orochimaru was not happy. In fact he was pissed. One couldn't tell though, he was above showing his anger openly. But everyone knew he was pissed. They could feel it. The only visible sign of his anger was the body that lay at his feet. The unfortunate boy had stupidly questioned an order he was given. Kabuto appeared to take the body away.

"Kabuto!" Kabuto snapped up to face Orochimaru. "Tell me, what have you deduced from your autopsy of Iwahiko's remains?"

"Whoever he was up against was powerful, someone with an incredible amount of chakra, and also very strong physically. On his dismembered arm, I found traces of teeth marks. This has told me that his arm was ripped off, rather brutally." Kabuto said.

"Anything else?"

"His entire kunai holster was empty; he used all of his senbon against his opponent."

"All of them you say? Does that include his poisoned one?" Kabuto nodded.

"I believe that his opponent may have been the Kyuubi's Jinchuuriki." At this Orochimaru began laughing.

"It's perfect! That poison was designed by me after all." Orochimaru kept laughing.

"If I may ask, what does that poison do?" Kabuto asked.

"That poison is made specifically to battle against a Jinchuuriki. It is undetectable by the Bijuu. The poison gets into the body's systems, circulatory, and chakra coils and breaks them down. Because the chakra coils are being broken down, the Jinchuuriki has difficulty keeping the Bijuu's chakra under control. It will make them go mad, release the Bijuu's full power until they die." Orochimaru was rather proud of himself. Creating such a poison. He had a strong feeling that not even Tsunade could create an antidote, and even if she did, it'd be far too late and the effects would be irreversible.

XxXxXxX

Sakura and Tsunade worked late into the night. They were determined to find an antidote so they could give it to Hinari.

"During the War, I was known to be able to be able to take a poison apart, find a suitable antidote, make it, and administer it quickly. But this, this is impossible. Not even Chiyo of Suna could have made something like this." Tsunade muttered. Sakura nodded. She had worked with a good deal of poisons herself, and this was difficult to work with.

"What if we-," Sakura began, but couldn't finish. She didn't want to think about what would happen if they failed to find a solution. Tsunade was scribbling some notes down on a notebook. She picked it up and read over her notes and gasped. "What is it?"

"This poison, based on what I've observed, it's like it was created specifically to be put to use against a Jinchuuriki." Tsunade said. Sakura winced, she never liked that term. Like Naruto had once said, it was an inhumane description of a human being.

"What do you mean by that?"

"Look at this. If it could be detected by the Kyuubi, it would have found the poison by now." Tsunade said.

"That's true, but we can't be sure of anything else until we bring Hinari in and examine her." Sakura said. Tsunade nodded. She looked at the clock.

"This can't wait, can you get her now?" Sakura nodded.

"I'll be back as quickly as possible." Sakura hurried out the door.

XxXxXxX

Hinari moaned and leaned against the door. 'It hurts!' Her nails dug into her stomach. It wasn't her stomach that hurt, the seal was burning, and it caused pain to shoot through her whole body. She fell to her knees, her arms wrapped tightly around her midriff. A wave of pain washed over her and she cried out. She buried her face into the hard wood floor and bit down on her lip, drawing blood. For a moment, the pain ceased and she managed to stand. Looking into the mirror in front of her, she saw that her eyes had turned blood red; her canines had gotten even longer than they already were, and her whisker marks were thicker, more prominent.

"AHH!" Hinari screamed as a fresh pulse of red hot pain ran through her, starting from her stomach and going outward. She fell to the ground again, tears streaming from her eyes.

"Hinari? Hinari, are you awake?" Hinari recognized the voice as Sakura's.

"S-Sakura-san!" Hinari called. She reached for the doorknob, but the activity made the pain even worse than before. She screamed again. Hinari heard the wood groan against a strong impact. She covered her head just as the door exploded and Sakura stepped inside. Upon seeing Hinari curled up on the ground, and thrashing her legs, Sakura was by her side in a second.

"Hinari, Hinari, where does it hurt?" Sakura asked.

"Every…" Hinari gasped, as she ground her teeth to distract herself from the pain. "…where." She finished. Sakura picked Hinari up and rushed her to the hospital. Hinari struggled the whole way there, not because she didn't want to go, but because she couldn't control her body anymore.

"Hold still Hinari, please." Sakura begged the girl. Hinari could hear her, but couldn't obey. They arrived and Sakura called for a gurney. Hinari was laid down onto it, but nearly rolled off in her thrashing. "Strap her down!" Sakura commanded. It took three nurses, plus two large doctors to keep Hinari down while they strapped her to the gurney. Hinari did her best not to struggle against the bonds that her down. She was wheeled to an empty room.

"Get some morphine into her!" One doctor ordered.

"No!" The nurses stared at Sakura in surprise. "She's been poisoned; anything else will make it worse. Get me a Hyuuga." A nurse nodded and ran to find the only Hyuuga medic in the whole building.

"You called for me Sakura-sama?" A young medic, only in her late teens arrived.

"Ah, Futami, please, tell me what her chakra coils looks like." Futami nodded.

'Byakugan!' After a moment, Futami reeled back in shock.

"What did you see?"

"Her-her chakra coils, they've nearly collapsed completely." Futami responded. Sakura turned to Hinari who was still crying out, attempting to free herself from the bonds that held her down.

"Get me Tsunade, now!" Sakura bellowed. Futami rushed out of the room, only to run into Tsunade as she turned from the door. Tsunade watched the Hyuuga run off, not realizing who she had bumped into.

"Sakura, what's wrong with her?"

"Her chakra coils are about to collapse entirely." Sakura attempted to mend the damage, but it was too much. "What do we do?" Sakura asked. As if on cue, Umi appeared at the door.

"Uchiha-san, I think I can help." Umi said, jumping up onto the bedside table.

"How?"

"Earlier, Hinari asked me if there was a plant that could make one go berserk. I told her that I wasn't certain, but I hadn't though enough on the question. There is one herb that can in a concentrated enough quantity." Umi explained.

"What is it?"

"It's called Snake's Fang. You can only find it on the border between Fire and Rice Country." Umi said. "If my siblings and I work quickly enough, we may be able to find it. You can develop an antidote with it."

"Do it, and as quickly as you can." Tsunade said. Umi nodded, jumped off the table and ran away at full speed.

"Hinari, listen to me, Hinari." Hinari turned to Sakura; she still held the features of a fox.

"Sakura-san, it hurts so much." She murmured. Sakura nodded.

"I know, I know, we'll find a cure, we promise. No matter what, we won't let you die." Sakura pressed a wet cloth to Hinari's forehead, cooling her hot skin. Hinari managed to somehow fall asleep, despite the pain, and she continued to cry. "What should we do if we can't find a remedy?" Sakura asked.

"Don't think like that Sakura." Tsunade responded. "We can't give up hope, if she's anything like her father; she wouldn't want that until the very last second." Sakura nodded.

"Hinari's been full of miracles; perhaps, she can pull another one out of thin air." Sakura muttered as she watched the moon travel across the sky.

XxXxXxX

"Umi! Umi! Is this it?" Tetsujin jumped up and down excitedly. Umi ran to her brother's side and studied the plant carefully.

"Yes, this is it!" Umi grabbed a mouthful and took off back to the village. The others not too far behind.

"Faster, we can't let Hinari die!" Akagane ordered. The six took off as fast as they could. 'We're comin' Hinari, just hold on for as long as you can.' He thought worriedly.

XxXxXxX

Sakura and Tsunade sat in Sakura's office, reviewing the notes they'd taken on the poison's properties. Hopefully, Umi would return quickly enough for them to have an adequate amount of time to prepare the antidote. They looked up when a nurse opened the door and Umi entered. She jumped onto the desk and dropped the herbs on the table.

"This is it." She said. Sakura and Tsunade looked at the plant. It had a thick stem, and long narrow leaves that really did look like a snake's fang. Sakura picked it up and headed to the lab where Hinari's blood sample still sat under a microscope. She began rummaging through cabinets, pulling out supplies as she went along.

"We have to be quick; each second we waste mean's Hinari's closer and closer to dying. Tsunade-sama, could you please extract the poison from Hinari so that we can figure out exactly what we need to make. Umi, I'm going to assume you know enough about this plant to help me sufficiently." Tsunade and Umi nodded. Tsunade left and collected a few nurses as she went. She had them prepare what was necessary to extract the poison.

She came to Hinari's room to find the girl awake again, and breathing heavily.

"Hinari, Hinari, I need to tell me where the poison entered your body." Tsunade said. Hinari winced and was able to lift her hand enough. She pointed just above her stomach. Tsunade nodded and carefully removed the straps that held Hinari down. Hinari was no longer thrashing, she didn't have the energy to. Tsunade carefully removed Hinari's shirt. "Hold her down." Tsunade ordered. Two nurses gripped each of Hinari's thin shoulders and held her down to the bed. Tsunade pressed her hands to the basin filled with water beside her, and carefully extracted what poison she could from where the opening had once been.

XxXxXxX

Umi and Sakura worked together on the antidote, not knowing what to look for. Sakura sighed as they scroll exploded with a puff of smoke. "Another failure. We're running out of ideas." Just as she said this, Tsunade came through the door, carrying a small vial filled with the poison she'd managed to extract from Hinari.

"I got what I could, but its spread throughout her body far too thoroughly for me to get it all." She said.

"It's good enough. Hand it to me." Sakura took the vial and opened it. She studied it carefully. Umi gave it a sniff.

"Yuck, this thing is highly concentrated. It's pure Snake's Fang. There's nothing added to it, except a large amount of very evil chakra. Whoever made it must be like the embodiment of evil."

"Orochimaru," Sakura whispered.

"What?" Tsunade looked at her former student incredulously.

"Sasuke's been investigating a rumor of him somehow being alive. It was confirmed when Satoko and Hitomi were kidnapped. He's alive, and I have very little doubt that he targeted Hinari for this." Sakura explained as she crushed the plants in a mortar. "Umi, tell me if I've got too much."

"That's enough there, do you have any Foxglove?" Umi asked. Sakura thought for a moment, and then hurried to a cabinet on the other side of the room. Yanking it open, she pulled out a small container filled with the plant. "Crush two leaves and add it to the mixture, and then, boil it. Strain the leaves. It'll be faster if you just inject Hinari with it." Umi said. Sakura did as she was told.

Once she strained the remainder of the leaves from the mixture, she filled a small eyedropper and squeezed a drop onto a fresh scroll. It hissed and sizzled in reaction.

"It worked?" Sakura stared. "It worked! We did it! Thank you Umi!" Sakura picked the fox up and hugged her.

"We're not done yet. We still have to give it to her." Tsunade interrupted. Sakura nodded. She filled a syringe and headed for the door. She pulled it open and heard a crash and scream. They followed the noise to Hinari's room. A nurse leaned near the door.

"What happened?" Sakura demanded.

"I was putting a fresh shirt on her when she woke up and jumped through the window!" The nurse cried, pointing to the broken glass. Umi jumped to the window ledge.

"Come on! Hinari must have realized what was happening to her so she decided to leave before any innocent bystanders got hurt!" Neither of the experienced medic-nin could argue with the logic. Sakura found Shizune.

"Shizune-san, wake the Hokage and tell him what's going on. We're going to need support." Sakura said as she and Tsunade ran out of the hospital, following Umi. Shizune nodded and ran to get the Hokage. 'Hinari, don't worry, we're coming now Hinari, we can save you for sure.' Sakura thought.

**Hurray, chapter done! This one gave me some grief; I started over a couple times to get it right. Anyway, hope you enjoyed. Oh and by the way, I will be having a time skip and this story is about half done, storyline wise. There might be another two chapters after this, maybe only one, I don't know yet. Review, and tell me what you thought. Hinari's condition will be explained fully next chapter, I swear.**

_"Mom! Dad!" Tsubaki came running to the group. "We've got trouble."_

_"What is it?" Temari asked._

_"The whole freaking village is up at the Hokage Tower, they're demanding for Hinari's immediate execution!" Tsubaki declared. The adults tensed up. Takuro's hold on Hinari tightened defensively._

_"What should we do?" Sai asked._

_"We head over there, now; we have to find out what the hell they want." Tsunade said. "Don't let Hinari go boy, protect her with your life if they choose to attack her." Takuro nodded. He looked down at Hinari; she was staring at the ground._

_"Don't worry Hinari; I won't let them hurt you." He whispered in her ear. _

_"Yeah, no one gets near our best friend without having to go through us." Tsubaki added._


	37. Chapter 37: Farewell

Hinari

Chapter 37

Sakura Hanamoto

Hinari ran through the forest as fast as she could. 'I won't let anyone get hurt!' She thought as a wave of pain struck her. She lost her footing and fell from the tree she was supposed to land in. She hit the ground with a thud. Hinari curled up, and slowly, the Kyuubi's chakra took over her. She stood, breathing heavily. She felt like her body was falling apart, but that hardly stopped her. Hinari's head snapped to the side when she smelled the approach of three people. Or rather, two people and a fox.

"Hinari!" Umi called to her.

"S-stay away!" Hinari cried, flinging her arms out, Sakura and Tsunade dodged a claw of chakra that had grown out from her arm. "I-I…don't want to…hurt you." She gasped as she fell to her knees.

"Hinari," Sakura took a step forward. Hinari let out a guttural roar that made Sakura retreat. "What do we do?"

"We need Yamato out here." Tsunade murmured. Hinari crouched down on her hands, and from the Kyuubi's chakra that covered her like armor, grew a long tail.

"This is bad," Sakura jumped away from another claw and landed in a tree above the girl. Both claws came at the women, Tsunade dodged out of the way, but before Sakura could, she lost her balance and began to fall. Sasuke leapt from a tree behind her and caught her.

"You okay Sakura?"

"Yeah, I'm fine." Sasuke put her down. Sai, Yamato, Shikamaru, Temari, and Kakashi soon joined them. "Hokage-sama sent us out, he said we'd know how to deal with this problem."

"Yamato." Tsunade nodded towards Hinari. The man stepped forward.

"We need to stop her movements long enough for me to get this needle into her." Sakura explained. Yamato nodded and began forming seals. But Hinari wouldn't let him finish. She charged at the man and rammed right into him.

XxXxXxX

Takuro sat up when he felt the powerful chakra rush through the village.

"'Nii-chan, what was that?" Satoko asked as she ran into his room. Takuro didn't answer; instead he got out of bed and changed.

"Stay here." He ordered her, and he ran out of the house. 'If Satoko felt that, then the whole village did.' He thought nervously. 'Hinari,' He picked up his pace, leaping up to the roof of the nearest building and followed the signature out to the forest. He looked down to see several villagers run out their houses brandishing anything they'd found as weapons. 'Shit!' Takuro moved faster.

XxXxXxX

"Damn, we can't get any closer Sakura!" Temari called to her. Sakura nodded. They'd managed to get a little closer to Hinari, but she kept beating them back, especially Yamato who kept trying to seal her chakra.

"Sakura, if we can't do this soon, we'll be facing the Kyuubi." Tsunade said.

"I know, but how can we get any closer, she can't hear us." As she said this, a small slip of paper flew passed her and nearly struck Hinari, but was blocked.

"Hmm, I guess that's not gonna work." Jiraiya had joined them.

"Shit, Chidori Nagashi!" Sasuke brought his sword up and cleaved the chakra claw in half as it came at him. Hinari roared again, her chakra pressing down on them. "We can't reach her Sakura, and we're running out of options!" Sasuke yelled to her. Kakashi ducked under a second tail to stand next to Sakura.

"Sakura, how did Naruto stay in control?" Shikamaru asked her.

"Yamato sealed Kyuubi's chakra or," Sakura stopped. "Hinata." She said. Kakashi nodded.

"Hinata was one of the few people that could keep him calm; perhaps it's the same with Hinari."

"Then who could do that?" Sai asked.

"Takuro." Sasuke answered. "He's always there to keep her calm."

"I'll go get him." Temari volunteered.

"No need, he's already on his way." Jiraiya said. "I saw him coming before; he'll be here any second now." Sure enough, Takuro appeared by Sasuke's side.

"Oh my god!" He cried out in alarm. "Hinari," He stared at her. He'd seen her access Kyuubi's chakra before, but never to this extent. It was awe-inspiring, but fearsome at the same time.

"Takuro." Takuro looked at his mother. She handed him a syringe. "Can you get closer to her and inject this into her."

"What will it do?" He asked.

"It'll save her." Takuro's fingers curled tightly around the syringe.

"I don't know, but I can try." Takuro stepped forward towards her.

"Is it such a good idea to entrust her life with him?" Kakashi questioned.

"Yes, he'd do anything for her." Sakura said. They watched as Takuro approached slowly. He took a cautious step forward. Hinari glared up at him, saliva dribbling from her chin, and three tails swishing about behind her. Her hair swirled in an unfelt wind current, forming a curtain of indigo around her.

"It's okay Hinari; I'm not going to hurt you." Takuro took another step forward. Hinari lunged a claw at him, and he barely managed to dodge, but her other claw came in from above. It gored at his face, from above his right eyebrow, across the bridge of his nose, and just barely missing his left eye, it formed three enormous gashes on his face. He cried out but ignored the pain. Takuro was only five feet away from her now. He reached a hand out to her, but coming so close to her caused the skin on his fingers to burn.

"He might not make it." Sai muttered, but he was silenced by Sakura.

"Shut up and watch!" She whacked him on the head again. They stopped talking when Takuro screamed as his skin was burned more and more. He moved closer, ignoring it as best as he could. Finally, he broke through the barrier of chakra and embraced Hinari.

"Hinari-chan," He whispered into her ear. He took the syringe and stuck it into Hinari's arm and injected the antidote. In a powerful rush, Kyuubi's chakra surrounded the two in a bubble, and then exploded, knocking the group of adults backwards. When the dust cleared away, Takuro stood there, holding Hinari tightly.

"He-he did it!" Sakura was shocked.

"Of course he did, he would have made sure to get it done even if it meant death." Sasuke said.

"Hinari-chan, are you okay?" Takuro asked. His face throbbed painfully, as well as his left arm, but he ignored his injuries. They were trivial next to his concern for Hinari's health. Hinari groaned and her eyes opened, he was relieved to see the crystalline blue.

"I'm alright." She said. Sakura and Tsunade approached. Takuro released Hinari, but she slumped to the ground. Sakura knelt next to her.

"Show me your face." Tsunade tilted Takuro's face up and healed it. "Kyuubi's chakra is disrupting the healing so it's going to scar." She explained. Sakura handed Tsunade some bandages, and she wrapped up Takuro's face with it. She then healed his arm and bandaged that too. She let Takuro sit by Hinari when she was done.

"We got lucky, Hinari still has quite a bit of chakra left, her own as well as Kyuubi's. Hopefully, her coils are already recovering." Sakura reported.

"Thank god you're okay." Takuro hugged Hinari. "You really worried us you know."

"Sorry."

"Let's get back to the village." Tsunade said.

"Uh, when Kyuubi's chakra hit the village, it was strong enough for the civilians to feel." Takuro told them.

"Damn, they'll think Hinari let the Kyuubi loose to destroy the village." Sasuke said.

"I came out here, so that I didn't hurt anyone." Hinari explained.

"We figured." Sakura told her. Takuro lifted Hinari into his arms and carried her. They walked back to the village at a steady pace.

"Sorry for ruining your face." Hinari said.

"It's okay, maybe now the fangirls will leave me alone." He said.

"Actually, they all went to the Shikatarou fanclub from what Tsubaki told me." Hinari informed him.

"Good riddance." They were now approaching the gates, but the village seemed frighteningly quiet. That's when they spotted Tsubaki.

"Mom! Dad!" Tsubaki came running to the group. "We've got trouble."

"What is it?" Temari asked.

"The whole freaking village is up at the Hokage Tower, they're demanding for Hinari's immediate execution!" Tsubaki declared. The adults tensed up. Takuro's hold on Hinari tightened defensively.

"What should we do?" Sai asked.

"We head over there, now; we have to find out what the hell they want." Tsunade said. "Don't let Hinari go boy, protect her with your life if they choose to attack her." Takuro nodded. He looked down at Hinari; she was staring at the ground.

"Don't worry Hinari; I won't let them hurt you." He whispered in her ear.

"Yeah, no one gets near our best friend without having to go through us." Tsubaki added.

They approached the tower to see nearly the whole village there. For the most part the chanted the same thing over and over. "KILL HER! KILL HER! KILL HER!" Konohamaru stood, hanging out of the window of his office down at the people below. He'd tried to calm them down, but they weren't listening. Only a few weren't trying to kill her, he noted. Among them were Machi, the baker, Ayame, and the weapon's smith.

"THERE SHE IS!" Konohamaru saw that the group had returned with Hinari with them. "GET HER! SPILL HER BLOOD!" The adults formed a tight circle around Hinari and Takuro.

"What the hell are you doing?!" Tsunade demanded. The villagers halted at the sight of the former Hokage.

"Why do you protect it?" One of the villagers asked.

"Hinari's a human girl! You guys are freaking retards!" Tsunade yelled. The crowd began screaming and yelling, pressing at the group. A kunai nearly got through, but Sakura caught it and snapped it in half. Konohamaru was beginning to get fed up with the villagers.

_"SILENCE!" _The villagers shut up and turned to face the current Hokage. "Now listen up! I am not going to repeat this! You people make me sick! You're making the same mistake you did with her father! You called him a demon; you beat him, scorned him, and look what he did for this village!"

"Yeah, absolutely nothing!" One villager shouted, only to be silence by Iruka who happened to be standing next to him.

"Naruto-sama was the Rokudaime, he worked hard to gain your respect, and he protected this village, even when the village would beat him down. If he were here right now, he would hate you all for treating his daughter this way. Hinari would never hurt this village. She's too much like her mother and father to do it. Are you all really so blind in your own fear that you can't see that Hinari is just a child?"

"Like I give a crap!" One villager rushed unexpectedly and broke through between Shikamaru and Sai. He came at Hinari and Takuro. Thinking quickly, Takuro did the first thing that came to mind. He bit the man's hand.

"Don't you dare touch her." He growled in anger. The man stepped away. Sasuke grabbed the man in a headlock and tossed him back into the crowd.

"Takuro, Tsubaki!" Sakura spoke as she ducked under a pitchfork and brought her fist up, snapping the pole. "Take Hinari to the hospital and don't leave her side!" She ordered. Both nodded.

"Go, Takuro, I'll hold up the rear." Tsubaki said, drawing her fan. Takuro ran, as fast as he could. Hinari wrapped her arms around his neck and held on tightly. He turned a corner only to find it blocked.

"Shit!" He cursed and turned around. He ran in a different direction, but every direction he chose, they kept running into villagers. 'I can't attack, I'm not allowed to, and I can't even if I could.' He thought desperately.

"Takuro, run at the wall." Hinari said.

"What?"

"I can use that trick, it doesn't use chakra." She said. Takuro nodded and ran straight for a wall. Hinari concentrated and ghosted them through. They stumbled through the first floor of an apartment building and came out the other side. They kept on going, and managed to avoid hordes of villagers.

They made it to the hospital where Shizune quickly gave Hinari a room. Takuro placed Hinari on the bed and stood at the window. He looked outside to see Tsubaki and the others coming. Several ANBU flanked them.

"It's okay now Hinari, you're safe here." He reassured her.

"Thank you Takuro." Takuro turned to Hinari and saw that she was crying.

"Hinari-chan," He stepped towards her.

"I hate this! I'm always causing so much trouble for you and your family. It's all because of me, and Kyuubi-san. I-I'm not strong enough. I can't control him, I can't control myself." Takuro sat down on the bed next to her. "I-," She was cut off when Takuro hugged her tightly.

"It's okay Hinari-chan, you are strong enough, just believe in yourself and you can do it. I would go to the ends of the earth for you, so never ever think that you're being a nuisance to me or my family." Hinari gripped a fistful of his shirt as she hugged him back.

"Thank you so much Takuro, you're always there for me."

"And I always will be." Takuro held onto Hinari until she fell asleep. He put her down and pulled the blankets up to her chin and slumped into the nearby chair and also fell asleep.

XxXxXxX

Sakura stuck her head through the door to see both kids asleep. She unwrapped the bandages on Takuro's face and arm and checked his injuries. His arm was almost completely healed, there would be scarring of course. 'Poor kid, he's got more scars then some of the veterans.' She thought as she wrapped fresh bandages on his arm. Sakura left the room quietly.

"How're they doing?" Konohamaru asked.

"Great, Takuro's injuries have healed, and Hinari should be fully recovered by the time she wakes up." Sakura replied. Konohamaru nodded in approval.

"How is Arashi's therapy coming along?"

"Maybe another week, maybe two."

"Can you please explain exactly what happened to Hinari?"

"Well, during her last mission, the one to bring Hitomi and Satoko back, she was poisoned with a very potent herb called Snake's Fang. It was in a highly concentrated dose, but it moved through her system slowly. With the help of Umi, one of Hinari's furry friends, we found the herb; it was all the way out at the border. The herb broke down Hinari's chakra coils, making the Kyuubi's chakra run wild through her system, her chakra control also suffered greatly. Takuro brought it to my attention several weeks ago, but I wasn't able to do anything until I managed to secure a blood sample. Tsunade-sama and I investigated her blood, and extracted what we could of the poison from her body.

"With a sample of the poison, we were able to develop an antidote using the same herb mixed with another and diluted with water. Now, all that's left is for Hinari's chakra coils to heal." Sakura explained.

"Thank you; I want that in a report by the end of the week." Konohamaru said walking away. Sakura sighed.

'I always hated writing reports.' She thought.

XxXxXxX

Hinari moved quietly, she opened the window of the room and slipped out, leaving Takuro. She leapt across roofs, until she reached her apartment building. She got inside her apartment and grabbed her backpack and starting packing.

Hinari glanced out her window, to her relief, no one was around, and it was very early in the morning after all. Hinari finished packing her bag. She stuffed a few changes of clothes inside, along with all her equipment. Pausing, she picked her forehead protector up from the table and traced the leaf on the metal band. Slowly, she slipped it into her bag as well. Finally, Hinari pulled her hair out of the braid and rolled up the spiked decoration, she had no need for it any longer. Hinari pulled her sandals on and shouldered her backpack. Hinari headed for the door, and placed her hand on the doorknob but hesitated. With a final breath of resolve, she yanked the door open to find Takuro standing before her. For a moment, both were surprised and silent, but Takuro broke the silence first.

"Where do you think you're going?" Takuro asked, his face set in a grim expression. Hinari stared at the floor beneath her.

"I-I-," Hinari couldn't bring herself to speak.

"Hinari, please, tell me." Hinari bit her lip.

"I-I'm sorry Takuro!" She cried, bowing her head to avoid making eye contact with him. "I can't stay here." She whispered. Takuro brought his hand up to her face, and tipped it up to see her clearly.

"Hinari, please don't leave." Takuro pulled her into a tight embrace.

"I have to," She spoke softly.

"Why?"

"I-I could have killed you Takuro. I don't want to hurt anyone."

"You won't, I promise." Hinari shook her head in denial.

"Don't make a promise you can't keep." She paused. "You know as well as I that I've let myself slip into a power I can barely control anymore." Hinari hesitantly reached up and traced one of the claw marks on his face. "I hurt you; I don't want that to happen again." The wound had healed well, but he would always have the scars that she'd given him. "Try to understand why I'm doing this. I love this village, no matter how little it loves me. If it means leaving it behind, then so be it."

"Hinari, there must be another way." Once again, Hinari shook her head.

"There isn't." Hinari slipped out of his arms and walked out the door.

"Then, at least let me walk you to the gate." Hinari looked back at him and smiled slightly and nodded.

As they walked, Takuro looped an arm around her waist and pulled her closer to him. Hinari did not protest, but she knew, deep down, that his actions were making it harder and harder for her to leave. The gate loomed before them sooner than either of them wanted. Hinari walked a couple paces ahead, and then turned back. Hinari reached up behind her neck and unclasped her necklace. She took Takuro's hand and placed the necklace into it, and curled his fingers around it.

"Take this, as a parting gift from me." She explained at his confused look.

"I can't take this." Takuro protested.

"Yes you can, and you will." Hinari insisted. Takuro sighed and nodded. He reached back and put the necklace on. Hinari then dug into her pocket and retrieved a scroll. "Give this to Hokage-sama as soon as you can." Takuro took the scroll and stuffed it into his pocket. Hinari was about to keep on walking, but was surprised when Takuro hugged once more.

"Don't forget about us Hinari." He whispered into her ear.

"I won't."

"And, promise me you'll be safe, I won't be there to carry you to the hospital anymore." Takuro couldn't help but smile.

"I promise." Takuro, slowly, hesitantly released her. He then leaned forward and kissed her. There and then, Hinari realized how difficult this would be for them both. Takuro pulled away, and buried his nose into her long hair, taking in the faint scent of lilacs.

"I-I love you." He whispered so softly that Hinari barely heard him. She gave a small gasp, and smiled.

"I love you too." Hinari moved away from him, her hand slipping from his. And in a moment, she was gone.

XxXxXxX

Konohamaru was surprised to see anyone knocking on his office door so early. "Come in." The door opened and Takuro entered. "Takuro? Shouldn't you be with Hinari?"

"I feel that I no longer need to carry that order out." He responded. Konohamaru raised an eyebrow. Takuro reached into his pocket and pulled out a scroll. He placed it on Konohamaru's desk. Without a word, Takuro left. Curiously, Konohamaru picked up the scroll and unrolled it.

"To the Hokage, my friends, and family." The scroll read. "I have come to realize that the power of the Kyuubi is far too powerful for me to wield. So, in order to find a way to do it, I have decided to leave the village. Please don't misunderstand, I am not defecting, I love Konoha, I would never think of doing that. I don't know how long I will be gone, so please; don't keep your hopes up that I will come back within a few months. I may be gone for several years, however long it may take.

"Until then, I hope that when I do return, you have all grown and become stronger than you are now. Hitomi-hime, I pray that you will grow up to become a wonderful kunoichi in your own right. For all of you, I will miss you all, and Tsubaki, I'm sorry that I didn't say good-bye, you can beat me up when I come back for it, if you can that is." Konohamaru couldn't help but chuckle. "And finally, Arashi-'nee-chan, please have Hikaru-sensei retrieve a shoebox from under my bed. It has scrolls in it of techniques Mom and Dad knew; as you have more right to them than I do, since you are oldest, learn them well. I hope you achieve your dream of joining the I & S. Good luck to all of you, and good-bye, for now. Signed, Uzumaki Hinari." Konohamaru heaved a sigh. Things were going to be difficult to sort out, that much was certain.

XxXxXxX

Takuro, Tsubaki, and Hikaru stood in the Hokage's office.

"Well, it's time for you guys to get back out into the field. But, before that, you need a substitute for Hinari." Konohamaru said. The door opened and Sakura entered, along with Arashi. "Ah, perfect timing Sakura. What's the verdict?"

"Well, Arashi is in perfect health, her strength has returned, and ready to get back out on the field." Sakura reported.

"Very well, Hikaru, I introduce your new student to you. Uzumaki Arashi." Arashi bowed.

"I know that I may not be as strong as my little sister, but I hope not to be a burden to you." She looked up to see both of her comrades staring at her in shock.

"Hinari's…?" Tsubaki began.

"…older sister?" Takuro finished. Hikaru only smiled.

THE END

**Hehe, there was no way I could stretch out Hinari's departure into a decent sized chapter, so I decided to end it here. I hope you loved it. And tell me what you think. Well, so ends the beginning, and now, the end shall begin. Look for the second part entitled: **_**Shadowfox**_**, expect to see it by maybe Sunday, but no later than next Monday. Oh god, I'm gonna have so much fun with the next part. Expect new characters, new personalities, and new powers! Now for the torture, here's a little preview. MWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!!!!! Oh, I just realized, this is my longest chapter in terms of word count. OMG! Note: Snake's Fang is made up. All other healing herbs that shall be mention fron here on out to exist.**

_She sat at the bar, occasionally glancing at the man beside her. He was rather drunk, mostly thanks to her._

_"You sure you're eighteen?" The man asked her._

_"Of course I am." She reassured him with a smile. 'Pedo, but your demise will be fun.' Flicking her thick ponytail of auburn hair over her shoulder, she discreetly slipped her hand into her pocket and drew out a small packet. Opening it, she lifted the bottle of rum. "More?" She asked him._

_"Sure!" He laughed and turned to the man on his other side. This gave her the chance she needed. She slipped some finely ground powder into the bottle and gave it a quick swirl and poured the rum for him._

"Oi! Silent Strike, hurry it up!"_ A male voice spoke through the small earpiece she wore._

_"Shut up, I'm almost done." The man lifted the mug of rum and drank it. He put the mug down and stopped moving. He twitched several time before falling from the bar stool. The girl opened her mouth and screamed, feigning her innocence like a well trained actor._

_'He-he's dead!" She cried. Everyone in the bar rushed forward to see. She slipped back and ran out of the bar before anyone noticed. She pressed a finger to her earpiece._

_"Silent Strike to Shishou, do you copy?"_

"I copy Silent Strike. Report?"

_"Mission accomplished. I'm heading back. Over." With that, the fifteen year old girl slipped into the dark of night._


End file.
